hen stopped laying

[bethsplace]

one of my hens has been sitting since july and has new babies now two weeks old , she sat on two batches one was borrowed and we gave them back and had to get her some more eggs incase you are wondering why she sat so long since it now 10-1 well when she started sitting one of my other hen stopped laying and has not started back she appears healthy no signs of illness why did she quit? I thought after the chicks got here and ms. peeps was out of the nesting box she might start back but she has not only my other hen has been laying I catch her in the box often and only get one egg a day

 

[JayBird+16]

Are you sure she stopped laying? One of your other hens could be eating the eggs. I've got a hen that will clean out a nest box full of eggs in under a min. if I don't collect the eggs right away.

 

[bethsplace]

Idont think so:/ i dont see any evidense that she did do you see anything left when your hen does that? one of the girls layed a soft egg that was broke open and oozed in the pine shavings but didnt look like no one ate any and it looked too big for my hen with chicks she lays small eggs so I wondered if it was from my non laying hen because the laying hen had one that morning

 

[gallusdomesticus]

She could be molting. This is the time of year they often start to molt. If she is molting, you won't get any eggs from her until she grows out new feathers...could be a month or more.

 

[bethsplace]

I dont think so what does it look like when they molt, she looks the same as always

 

[hyzenthlay]

I have this same question, basically. My EE hen was laying about 4 or 5 eggs a week since August 15, and now it's been 6 days since her last egg. Should I be worried? I don't think the hens are eating the eggs, and they're all in a secure coop/run, so they can't hide eggs and no other critters can get in. The EE just turned 6 months old, and she isn't visibly molting or anything as far as I can see. I picked her up yesterday to see if I could see/feel anything unusual on her underside, but she seems normal, except her bum was a bit poopy/messy. This morning her bum looked cleaner, but still no egg.