Help! Chickens laying bad eggs or not at all

[befuddled]

We are new to chickens and have 6 isa browns about 18 months old. It's winter and they have stopped laying altogether. Shortly before they stopped laying at least 1 hen was laying bad smelling, watery eggs. They are being fed good quality layer pellets as well as kitchen vegetable scraps.

 

[befuddled]

Anyone able to give me some much needed advice please?

 

[iwiw60]

What part of the world do you live in....Australia, perhaps? You say 'bad smelling watery eggs' .... could it possibly be that it was an egg you hadn't gathered on time...one that was left out in a hidden nesting spot or something? Other than not laying are they in good health? A lot of times hens will stop laying as a normal thing during the winter months...more information will help us to help you...best of luck!

 

[befuddled]

Yeah Australia. South West WA to be more precise. No they weren't old eggs as they were collected daily and from the same place. They appear to be in good health. They recently went through a molt and lost most of their feathers but they have since grown back beautifully. Many people in our area with the same number and type have said their hens have slowed down but not all have stopped laying completely like ours have.

 

[iwiw60]

Boy, I'm at a loss on this one..here's a link to all the threads here at BYC on 'laying bad eggs' .. have a look-through and see if you find something relevant to your own situation. Hopefully someone else will be along shortly, too:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=laying+bad+eggs

 

[befuddled]

Thanks anyway. Will have a look.

 

[befuddled]

None of those ones seem to fit the bill unfortunately.

 

[rjopp]

I have two RIR 'S That are not laying either...they are 2. Any one have any idea?

 

[befuddled]

From no eggs for about a month we are starting to get 1 a day. So far 3 eggs have been smell free. Hopefully they are on there way to being back on track.

 

[Burns Homestead]

The bad smell could have been from something you fed them with the scraps you fed also could have upseted them and they would have quit laying for awhile or something they picked up off the ground maybe....