Has this ever happened to you before?

[lissalischicks]

I have an Easter Egger who is about 3 years old. Her first year she laid a lot of eggs. Then she molted .... bad..... Not the bad where she lost a lot of feathers and regrew all of them. She lost some feathers and grew only some of them back. She looked sad but she was still happy. After the molt she really never laid eggs. If she did, they were very, very thin eggs that broke the minute you touched them. Then about 4 months ago, I noticed she was loosing feathers around her face and finally went into a full molt about a month ago. Her face has filled out nicely and is still growing her feathers back. About 1 week ago, she started laying normal eggs!!! In one week we have got 5 eggs from her (and we verified it is her!) Isn't that odd? Usually they slow down and we getting less than 11 hours of sunlight! And she is still growing her feathers back! Has this happened to anyone? I'm just curious! Do you think she will continue to lay?

 

[sourland]

For some reason she is in better condition than she was after her first molt. Whether health wise , change in nutrition, lessened stress whatever. In my experience EE have had a longer productive life span than most of the high production birds. So, yes, she may continue to lay for several more years - just not as many eggs/year as some birds.

 

[lissalischicks]

For some reason she is in better condition than she was after her first molt. Whether health wise , change in nutrition, lessened stress whatever. In my experience EE have had a longer productive life span than most of the high production birds. So, yes, she may continue to lay for several more years - just not as many eggs/year as some birds.

Hmm.... Nothing has changed EXCEPT she is no longer last on the pecking order. She loves to let the lower ones know she is just above them. I guess we can't call her freeloader anymore.

 

[aart]

Nothing has changed EXCEPT she is not longer last on the pecking order.

That's a BIG change.
Did you add younger birds to the flock?

 

[lissalischicks]

That's a BIG change.
Did you add younger birds to the flock?

One of my girls became broody and hatched 4 little girls. Those little girls are now lower on the pecking order. Now that I think about it, the Easter Egger had a horrible molt and then the broody mom hatched the eggs. The mom was really mean to her when the girls were growing up too so probably didn't help.

Poor thing is she really wanted to lay because she would sit in the box dutifully but not lay an egg. I was starting to think something was wrong with her internally.

 

[aart]

One of my girls became broody and hatched 4 little girls. Those little girls are now lower on the pecking order. Now that I think about it, the Easter Egger had a horrible molt and then the broody mom hatched the eggs. The mom was really mean to her when the girls were growing up too so probably didn't help.

Poor thing is she really wanted to lay because she would sit in the box dutifully but not lay an egg. I was starting to think something was wrong with her internally.

Curious, how old are the chicks now?
Has the mama weaned them?
Is the mama still 'picking' on the EE?

 

[lissalischicks]

The chicks are about 1.5 years old (Not babies any more!!)
The mama picks on everyone lower than her when food is around. (before I added the 3 Easter Eggers she was the last one in the pecking order.)

 

[aart]

The chicks are about 1.5 years old

Ohhh....so no real bearing on the EE that started laying 4 months ago.

 

[lissalischicks]

Ohhh....so no real bearing on the EE that started laying 4 months ago.

I don't think so either. It's just weird.... she molted and poof started laying like it was summer!! I just caught her eating oyster shells!