ideas on why my hen is not laying

[junior67]

ok so my buff Cochin hasn't laid since March 25 before that she only laid March 5,8, 16,17, 19. She just turned a year old. She started laying in Oct I think and would lay 2-3 days take a day off lay 2-3 days . In Feb she went to every other day with a couple of 2 days in a row so thought maybe getting into her normal "groove" then March came and she all but stopped and now nothing.... She isn't broody. She will still go in the nest box for 2 days in a row and is in there for 1-2 hrs (what she has always done) then come out like she laid (but no egg), then the 3rd day she doesn't go in at all and repeat.

I am not sure if she is molting? But would she still go in like normal if she was? (I had one that stopped for Dec-Jan, think shorter days? and she didn't go near the nest box in that time) and would my rooster still mate her if she was molting? He didn't mate the other one (or I never saw him) for that month she stopped laying but he continues to mate with this one. Her back feathers are "gone" she has fluff there but no real feathers right now, but not sure if that is from the rooster or molting. I have watched and haven't seen ANY feather picking at all (I have a camera in my coop and run). My other girls (7 to my 1 rooster) don't look like she does from him mating them so not sure why she would...........

Would she molt at the beginning of spring and start at around 11 mo old?

any other ideas of why she would stop? I just had to trim some butt fluff and saw no signs of lice or mites. I will add a picture where you can see her back.

 

[junior67]

She is the only buff. You can also see how the other girls look.

 

[nuthatched]

A rooster will breed regardless of the state of the hen, she might need a saddle to protect her from his attention. My rooster had favorites too. She could be soft molting or maybe she need more protein in her diet.

 

[junior67]

A rooster will breed regardless of the state of the hen, she might need a saddle to protect her from his attention. My rooster had favorites too. She could be soft molting or maybe she need more protein in her diet.

she was his favorite but since the other 4 started laying (they didn't start until the end of Feb/Beg of March (before that he only had the other 3) he seems to space them all out. I have watched the camera for hours and seen him mate maybe 2 hens and that is all sometimes none at all. But even if she was a fav and that is the reason for feather loss why no eggs since March 25 and only a handful in March?

I have thought of a saddle for her but then read that sometimes it can cause the other girls to pick on them. And she is already one of the lower ones in the pecking order but as I said I never see her picked on but she is normally off by herself doing her own thing.

editing to add: what can I give for protein? They are on flock raiser, have access to oyster shells, they get a treat of mealworms or fly larvae maybe once a week, maybe some mixed greens here and there and some eggs rarely. I try not to give too many treats but should I up how often I give the treats or give them something else that is high in protein?

 

[nuthatched]

she was his favorite but since the other 4 started laying (they didn't start until the end of Feb/Beg of March (before that he only had the other 3) he seems to space them all out. I have watched the camera for hours and seen him mate maybe 2 hens and that is all sometimes none at all. But even if she was a fav and that is the reason for feather loss why no eggs since March 25 and only a handful in March?

I have thought of a saddle for her but then read that sometimes it can cause the other girls to pick on them. And she is already one of the lower ones in the pecking order but as I said I never see her picked on but she is normally off by herself doing her own thing.

editing to add: what can I give for protein? They are on flock raiser, have access to oyster shells, they get a treat of mealworms or fly larvae maybe once a week, maybe some mixed greens here and there and some eggs rarely. I try not to give too many treats but should I up how often I give the treats or give them something else that is high in protein?

Can you make a saddle the same color of her in yellow? She could be soft molting or maybe she's laying in a hidden area.

 

[junior67]

Can you make a saddle the same color of her in yellow? She could be soft molting or maybe she's laying in a hidden area.

they only have their coop and run and I have searched both. As I said she goes in the nest box like clockwork and sits in there for her hour or two then comes out like she laid. She has (and a couple of others) had eggs stuck on their butt fluff here and there but I can usually watch the cameras back and see where it came off and go get it that way, two have been eaten but I have seen that on the camera too.

hmmmm didn't think to look for a buff colored saddle......