Hens quit laying ?? hrm

[chickiechickie]

Hi guys

I have two hens, a Lakenvelder and a Blue Americauna. The Lakenvelder is 2 and the Americauna is just barely a year old. They were both laying well, and then both just stopped. They haven't laid an egg in over 2 weeks. They act healthy and are very active and eating well. I feed them a commercial egg layer crumble mix along with occasional treats of lettuce, peas, milo, etc. They are in a chicken tractor and are moved to fresh grass every few days.

The only thing we can think of is that we had moved their coop to a shady spot a few weeks prior to the eggs stopping. We've been moving them down the fenceline which gets some sunshine but not all day. It gets pretty hot here, and I thought the shade would be a good idea. Now I'm wondering if it's why they've stopped laying. We have not had any cold snaps: our nights are in the 60-70s and days in the 80-90 range. We just moved the coop back to a full sun area this afternoon in hopes that might be it, but when I had free range hens they sure didn't stay in the bright sunlight all day long so it seems like it should be something else.

Any ideas?

 

[WingingIt]

Are they molting maybe?

 

[WingingIt]

Oh!

Glad to have you join us!

 

[feathersnuggles]

IDK, I'm wondering about the shade, or sudden weather changes, maybe? Or have they encountered a predator, even one that showed up outside their tractor, recently?

One of my EE hens has suddenly stopped laying, too. She's never done that, and we're going on her 4th day without laying an egg. She's always laid 2 eggs every 3 days, very reliably. I've been wracking my brain for a reason why she's doing that. She is very healthy, although much more aloof from the flock since she stopped laying. She forages entirely alone right now. Maybe she's just taking an egg-laying break. After all, she's not an egg "machine". Yep, sometimes I forget that little fact! LOL.

 

[RonB]

Are they getting fat? I just learned from BYP magazine last week and a vet this week that a chicken that is TOO FAT will stop laying. The vet told me one of my leghorns was TOO fat and she hasn't laid an egg in almost two weeks. and she does NOT act sick at all.

 

[wanttobefarmer]

If i were you I'd start looking to see if something is eating the eggs, Possibly a snake, rat, raccoon or possum?
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[chickiechickie]

The Lakenvelder just came out of a molt a few months ago so that can't be it. No predation troubles. I have an old Pyrenees who used to guard my free range birds when I lived in the country and now his only job is to lie in the shade and keep an eye on these two. We're in town now, good fence, no coons or rats or snakes.

Hmmm the too fat thing has me wondering though. I've never had hens in a portable coop before... maybe they're just getting so little exercise that they're getting fat. They dig a up a storm but not the same I'm sure.

I'm stymied though. Almost 3 weeks of nothing now. That Lakenvelder was an egg laying demon last year. I know production slows in the second year but I'm thinkin someone told these two that they needed a vacation.