Hen Still Not Laying

[WendyTestaburger]

I have a 14 month old BCM who hasn't laid an egg since May. We have had a string of things that could be stressful for her. I changed her food in May right before we started a run extension project and that was about the same time she stopped laying. We rescued two mean hens who I rehomed and replaced with chicks and am currently integrating them with the flock. The BCM is currently going through a hard molt, her comb is pale and shriveled which I assume is related to the molt. Her hind tail feathers (what's left of them) are drooped down as well. I took her to an exotic pet vet and they did a fecal test that came back today, showed no signs of bacteria but they've offered to put her on a round of antibiotics anyway or I could take her back in for blood work. Just looking for advice. I noticed her comb about the same time she lost a bunch of feathers due to the molt. I've attached a picture of her comb now and what it looked like back when she was laying, plus a picture of the back of her neck where she's lost the most feathers, you can also see her tail feather position there.

 

[SilverBirds]

Marans in general typically take longer to start laying. Chickens don't lay while they molt and they don't lay very often in winter due to the diminishing daylight. It may very well be next year before you get eggs from her.

 

[WendyTestaburger]

I can't remember when she started laying but she only laid for a couple months before she stopped. The vet did a physical and couldn't find any issues with her. Have you ever had a molt last this long? I'm just worried about her.

 

[SilverBirds]

I can't remember when she started laying but she only laid for a couple months before she stopped. The vet did a physical and couldn't find any issues with her. Have you ever had a molt last this long? I'm just worried about her.

How long has her molt been? Molts typically last 8-10 weeks but vary between individuals. Some molts may last up to 20 weeks.

 

[WendyTestaburger]

How long has her molt been? Molts typically last 8-10 weeks but vary between individuals. Some molts may last up to 20 weeks.

I only noticed a big difference in her comb and feather loss in the last week but in the last two weeks I've noticed the hind feather drooping down and she is isolating herself from the others. She feels lighter to me as well. She seems to be moving more slowly but still eager to eat and drink, scratch and all that. The vet said it's a hard molt and noted a bunch of feather shafts under her feathers pretty much all over her so I wouldn't be surprised if she's been molting for some time and it's just ramped up recently. Is that possible? Are there phases of molting?