I'm sure this is normal but why does easter egger stop laying eggs for 3 weeks?

[WildBilly]

I have a pet easter egger chicken at 6 months old maybe a bit older, she stopped laying eggs. anyone experience this and have quick knowlledge on what the case may be? I gave oyster shell by hand to this bird, i guess she's just takin a break???

im not worried this is most likely normal
she's up top in the picture, on the roosting post. i want green eggs for breakfast

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

This time of year it's probably abrupt weather changes or her spring mini-moult. But I agree, it is odd for a 6 month old hen to stop laying.

Feeding oyster shell will not change how many eggs a hen lays, or start her laying sooner. If a hen has weak egg shells, then feeding supplemental calcium can address this. If you believe it's a dietary problem, then you may wish to supplement protein in the form of meat or even cat food that has meat as the first ingredient as a treat.

Other causes can be--stress, disease, or not getting enough food. Is there food in front of her 24/7, or do you just feed a set amount every day?

Finally, there is a sticky thread at the top of this forum in a blue box that addresses LOTS of reasons hens stop laying.

Good luck.

 

[WildBilly]

THANKYOU walkingOnSunshine,

you are very thoughtful and i appreciate your time to give me tips.

i'm not worried at all, because i love the bird every day without the eggs, just as a pet. she darts all over my yard.

i will feed and water her by hand..

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

THANKYOU walkingOnSunshine,

you are very thoughtful and i appreciate your time to give me tips.

i'm not worried at all, because i love the bird every day without the eggs, just as a pet. she darts all over my yard.

i will feed and water her by hand..

Better than feeding and watering her by hand would be making sure she has fresh clean water and good-quality chicken feed where she can get to it at all times. She needs to be able to eat when she wants to eat rather than when you are there to feed her.

Definitely hand feed her treats, but remember that the vast majority of her diet should be layer pellets. Because she has such a small body, giving her lots of treats will change the amounts of various nutrients in her diet. Think of it this way--I used to have a parrot. He weighed 500 grams, and so didn't eat very much each day. ONE GRAPE was enough to throw off his nutrition for the whole day, because he ate so little that one grape was a full third of his daily food intake. So give your hen small amounts of treats like sunflower seeds or yogurt or greens or cat food or steak or apples, but remember that these things are junk food and she should have most of her intake be the balanced nutrition of layer pellets.

 

[WildBilly]

i feed them fresh water often in a small bowl in this year, this past month of april 2013, and they like fesh water in a bowl more than the water in the waterer.

 

[aldarita]

Your easter egger should be fine! Mine quit laying eggs when she was about 7 or 8 months and did not lay eggs for two and a half months. Then all of a sudden she started laying again and has been doing so since then (she gives me a beautiful green egg almost every day). I attribute this behavior to the fact that she is at the bottom of the pecking order and my other 8 pullets peck at her (not harming her, just pecking) I think it took her some time to adapt to this situation, after all she is so young, maybe when she felt more comfortable she decided to lay again. Needless to say she is my favorite and I had already given up on her when she stopped laying, but thought she will stay with us until her very last day of life. Good luck with your EE, just be patient she will turn around.

 

[Bells AZ]

Our Easter Egger is 2 years old. She was laying regularly until the molt 8 months ago, then nothing. She seems healthy, and I sometimes show her the barbecue in an attempt to motivate her. The other 7 in the flock (none Easter Eggers) resumed normal production after about 3 months. We don't use artificial light, just rely on day length.

 

[arlenena]

Same thing with ours! Almost 3 months since last egg. Has yours started laying again? We are so bummed as she was our best layer.