Hen stopped laying - I have some ideas why, what do you think?

[Lorus6]

I have a one year old hen that has been laying an egg a day faithfully for about 4 months. She has not laid an egg in 8 days. She seems to be in very good health, except for a few feathers that seem to be loose. She is a Chantecler so her feathers are very loose and fluffy anyway.

I've been reading forums and I have a suspicion, but I'd love to get some thoughts and advice from all of you:

I bought a new feed (accidentally - different clerk at the feed store) and since I bought the 50 lb. bag and had it home before I realized I decided to just use it. It is 'scratch' I think? It is a mixture of corn and seeds and stuff. I have been feeding them Layer Crumbles. I am wondering if this could be the difference.

I also wonder if she is starting a molt? I know nothing about molting, so I'm not sure if this is possibly part of the problem.

We also built a new coop and run and moved them in about 4 days after the last egg. So some stress could be a factor??

Oh, and temperatures have been in the mid 80's to 90's and my two older chickens lived in Pennsylvania until December, so they haven't experienced hot Texas weather...

SO... with all of that, I need a bit more advice

: I have 2 - one year old hens (Brownie - the Chantecler, and Bluebell - A Blue Breda who has laid 3 weird eggs - one empty, one soft shell, one shell-less; and not laid again.)

Recently put in with them are 4 - 10 week old pullets and 3 -10 week old Mallard ducks. We are working to separate the ducks from the chickens, but my concern is what type of feed is safe for everyone??

Would Layer Crumbles be bad for the pullets? I have been feeding all of them a mixture of the 'scratch' and chick grower.

Finally, we will be adding a FINAL set of 5 chickens that are currently 3 weeks old.

Any and all advice is appreciated!!!

 

[petrel]

Wow, that is quite a bit of change. I don't think scratch has the necessary protein or calcium needed for optimum egg production. The various environmental and flock changes could also trigger a laying problem, but I'd get her back on layer feed first. Also, I've read that layer feed can be bad for pullets because it contains excess calcium that they don't use and can cause developmental problems. I've got a grand total of about 9 months experience in the back yard chicken hobby. I'm sure some experienced chicken folk will chime in soon.

 

[Lorus6]

Wow, that is quite a bit of change. I don't think scratch has the necessary protein or calcium needed for optimum egg production. The various environmental and flock changes could also trigger a laying problem, but I'd get her back on layer feed first. Also, I've read that layer feed can be bad for pullets because it contains excess calcium that they don't use and can cause developmental problems. I've got a grand total of about 9 months experience in the back yard chicken hobby. I'm sure some experienced chicken folk will chime in soon.

Thanks, petrel! I agree - it is way too much change, poor girls!
We got our first chickens exactly 10 months ago - so I am a newbie too!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

She could be starting her moult too, during which she might take a break from laying. They like a little extra nutrition when they're moulting, yogurt or watermelon or fun stuff like that, and they can look a little threadbare, but they soon perk up, feather out and get back to normal behaviour.

 

[Lorus6]

She could be starting her moult too, during which she might take a break from laying. They like a little extra nutrition when they're moulting, yogurt or watermelon or fun stuff like that, and they can look a little threadbare, but they soon perk up, feather out and get back to normal behaviour.

Here is a photo of Brownie - you can see her loose and missing feathers. Does this look like a molt?

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Here is a photo of Brownie - you can see her loose and missing feathers. Does this look like a molt?

Hard to tell. Are you seeing lots of her feathers around the place, in the coop or around her dust bath?

 

[Lorus6]

Hard to tell. Are you seeing lots of her feathers around the place, in the coop or around her dust bath?

No, Not any more than usual...

 

[Lorus6]

We had a week long vacation and came home to find Brownie had begun to lay again! She is laying daily now and is still her usual chipper self. I think she is comfortable in her new home now and has just relaxed and begun to lay again.
Thanks for the advice and encouragement!!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

We had a week long vacation and came home to find Brownie had begun to lay again! She is laying daily now and is still her usual chipper self. I think she is comfortable in her new home now and has just relaxed and begun to lay again.
Thanks for the advice and encouragement!!

Love these good news stories! Yeah Brownie!

 

[Lorus6]

I finally figured out why Brownie stopped laying. She was BROODY! I suspect having the younger chickens join the flock triggered her broodiness and being moved to a new home broke her.

I figured it out, because she is broody again! She has plucked her chest feathers and settled in the sand in the coop. She puffs up at me when I come near. The only problem? She is still my only egg layer, we have no rooster, and I had already gathered all of her laid eggs...

She is determined to hatch some eggs, but right now she is sitting on sand - no eggs.

Before I realized she was broody, I removed the nest boxes from the coop (since she is my only layer and isn't laying) She was staying tucked into her little nest bucket and I was afraid she would get too hot since temps are approaching 100 degrees.

This did absolutely nothing - she continued to sit in the sand where her bucket had been.

My father-in-law was visiting and took one look at her and said she was setting eggs.

It was like a lightbulb went on! I had not ever considered the idea she was broody.

SOOOO... I have given her nest box back, added a few golf balls and am waiting to see how she responds. I've made arrangements to get some fertile eggs and hope to switch out golf balls for eggs early next week.

I intend to let her hatch and raise them in the coop, since no one else is old enough to lay yet.

Any advice?