I'm Worried about my Hen

[ClareScifi]

One of my hens laid a very small egg recently. She is half White Leghorn and half Buff Orpington, I would guess, and her regular eggs are white shelled and large. She is almost 2 1/2 years old and has been a good layer. Since laying the small egg she has not laid another. I am getting worried because she usually lays every day or every other day. What do you think it could be? I read that stress can cause this, but I'm wondering whether she could have ovarian cancer or something? She seems healthy and happy. Could it be mites? None of the others seem affected, and my 4 year old Barred Rock is laying well, and so is the Silver-Laced Sebright Bantam.

 

[steph0601]

Are there more feathers in the coop than normal, shecould be molting, my RIRs and my sex links both stop laying when they molt. Also if the weather changes they will stop for a few days. We moved there coop to a new location and they didn't lay for a week. Lots of things can affect them laying. Do you notice anything else wrong with the chicken, is she laying down a lot not eating or drinking?

 

[cheep cheep]

Hello. I shouldn't worry about this at this early stage if as you say she seems healthy and happy. One of my hens does this all the time. she is 7 years old now but has laid in an irregular way for the past few years. At the moment she is laying lovely large eggs every day but i know that any day now she might not lay for 4 days and then resume laying perhaps every other day. Sometimes they do lay the odd smaller egg and this often happens in the lead up or during a molt. Perhaps you could give her some tonic in the drinking water. If her condition changes then it time to rethink. Try not to worry.

 

[ClareScifi]

I haven't seen her acting out of the ordinary in any way. She has always been my biggest yogurt lover and she likes to eat eggshells, so I think she is getting plenty of calcium? The rooster is mating more now that it's warm out, and I wonder if that could be a stressor? There was no yolk in the tiny egg. I have gotten fairy eggs from other chickens in the past, but they have always continued to lay regular eggs afterwards. She has not laid one egg since laying this little egg probably on Monday or Tuesday. It was the very warm, springlike day that I found it in the nest. What worries me is not so much the size of the tiny egg, but the fact that she has laid none since?

 

[cheep cheep]

Hi Clare. How if your hen doing?

 

[ClareScifi]

She seems just fine. Thanks for asking about her today, my friend. I looked at her bottom, and it seems to look normal. I can't figure out what is going on. Whether it could be worms or something, or maybe she has just retired from laying.

I know I worried about her sister, the Silver Laced Sebright Banty when she stopped laying her first summer, on the first day of summer. I was sure she was eggbound, until I researched it well and finally learned that her breed stops laying in hot weather and doesn't start up again until February! I was so shocked at that information, so I'm in hopes maybe it's something similar in regards to this hen, something I am unaware of that isn't life-threatening.

 

[cheep cheep]

Well I'm glad there doesnt seem to be anything else wrong with her. I have a bantam that has only ever laid a handful of eggs on her life and none of them were even edible. Some of them didn't have yolks either. They are funny litte creatures aren't they. I'm glad i only have them as pets with perks and that i don't rely on them for a living.

 

[ClareScifi]

Yes, I know what you mean. I don't even eat eggs. The first 2 chicks were a present from the neighbor, and I couldn't turn them down.... So even if my hen who has me worried can't lay any more eggs, it is no problem. These chickens have been eye candy all along. I learned to like their eggs, but I keep them mostly for the fun of their personalities and looks. I just hope she isn't sick or injured somehow.

 

[cheep cheep]

Oh that's so sweet to hear. My first was kind of a rescue hen and it all just grew from there. They are so sweet and entertaining although one of mine did cause the death of one of my rabbits but that's another story. I wish you and all your girls well.

 

[ClareScifi]

Thank you so much, Cheep Cheep. So sorry about your rabbit. I would like to hear the story, if you care to share it?

The good news is:

Buttery Blanche laid a PERFECT big, white egg today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooo happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think everything is okay, after all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!