- Feb 19, 2017
- 10
- 6
- 67
Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I posted anything. 
I live in Southern California. It is May 23. I have only two chickens--a year and a few months old. An Easter Egger and a Buff Orpington. In Winter at their lowest, the EE lays 3 in a row and takes a day off. The BO lays 4 in a row and takes a day off. Summer, the EE lays 5 to 6 in a row and takes a day off and the BO lays 3 weeks to a month before taking a day off.
The BO has not laid an egg for three days now. Before that it was erratic. 2 days then off. One day then off (this is happening in the last few weeks). No change in food for a long time: There are layer feed pellets readily available to both of them(it is organic and contains oyster shell and higher amt of protein) She is not broody. She does not appear to be sick and eats regularly. I give them about three to four tablespoons of fermented feed everyday in the morning (whole barley, whole wheat, whole oat, field peas mixture with about a 1/2 tsp of coconut oil). They get treats during the day-total of about a handful of organic rolled oats and mealworms or rarely the heel of a loaf of bread. They free range and water is supplied (I change it out every 3 days and wash the containers then) Her poo looks normal however there is less poo in the morning under her in the coop and today was the first time there was none at all. She came out and immediately dropped a HUGE one! LOL! She is not molting that I can see (do they molt in May?) She is not lethargic. They take dust baths everyday. I grow barley and wheat grass from seed for them to eat (I don't have a lot of grass in my backyard)
I'm stumped as to why she is not laying eggs and worried she is sick and I just don't see it. EE is totally laying normally.
It has been overcast here in SoCal the last 3 days and about 15 degrees cooler but still, its not even a winter schedule for her.
The only other thing is that the EE was being bullied from the fermented feed in the morning (about two weeks ago) the EE didn't lay for two days. So when I started to give them the morning fermented feed in two bowls, the EE got more food and she started to lay again. So this is a small change made recently about a week ago. I have observed them eating and the BO can't peck her away from the food because the EE now goes to the other bowl. The bowls are not too far apart as I know they are social eaters.
What else should I look for? Do you think the two bowls are enough of a change to cause this amount of stress?
Thanks in advance for your chicken experience and help!
I live in Southern California. It is May 23. I have only two chickens--a year and a few months old. An Easter Egger and a Buff Orpington. In Winter at their lowest, the EE lays 3 in a row and takes a day off. The BO lays 4 in a row and takes a day off. Summer, the EE lays 5 to 6 in a row and takes a day off and the BO lays 3 weeks to a month before taking a day off.
The BO has not laid an egg for three days now. Before that it was erratic. 2 days then off. One day then off (this is happening in the last few weeks). No change in food for a long time: There are layer feed pellets readily available to both of them(it is organic and contains oyster shell and higher amt of protein) She is not broody. She does not appear to be sick and eats regularly. I give them about three to four tablespoons of fermented feed everyday in the morning (whole barley, whole wheat, whole oat, field peas mixture with about a 1/2 tsp of coconut oil). They get treats during the day-total of about a handful of organic rolled oats and mealworms or rarely the heel of a loaf of bread. They free range and water is supplied (I change it out every 3 days and wash the containers then) Her poo looks normal however there is less poo in the morning under her in the coop and today was the first time there was none at all. She came out and immediately dropped a HUGE one! LOL! She is not molting that I can see (do they molt in May?) She is not lethargic. They take dust baths everyday. I grow barley and wheat grass from seed for them to eat (I don't have a lot of grass in my backyard)
I'm stumped as to why she is not laying eggs and worried she is sick and I just don't see it. EE is totally laying normally.
It has been overcast here in SoCal the last 3 days and about 15 degrees cooler but still, its not even a winter schedule for her.
The only other thing is that the EE was being bullied from the fermented feed in the morning (about two weeks ago) the EE didn't lay for two days. So when I started to give them the morning fermented feed in two bowls, the EE got more food and she started to lay again. So this is a small change made recently about a week ago. I have observed them eating and the BO can't peck her away from the food because the EE now goes to the other bowl. The bowls are not too far apart as I know they are social eaters.
What else should I look for? Do you think the two bowls are enough of a change to cause this amount of stress?
Thanks in advance for your chicken experience and help!
