Is One of My Chickens Not Laying? Should I Be Worried?

[myawesomepullets]

I have five seven-month pullets. All five were laying each day for several weeks, then suddenly we have been getting only four eggs per day for about a week now. I'm not totally sure if it's the same girl that isn't laying because other people in my family have gotten eggs and aren't keeping track of what color eggs they are getting or who is laying them. Is it most likely that the same pullet isn't laying? If there's something wrong with her egglaying, how should I tell which one it is and what the causes are?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Depending on breed, it's normal for birds to not lay every day

 

[Alaskan]

As already mentioned, hens don't always lay like clock work.

So... a different amount of eggs doesn't necessarily mean anything.

But... occasional flock inspections are important. So... I would suggest you do one of those,, and see how everyone looks..

Often, it is easiest to do part during the day, and the other part after the flock roost for the night.

So... daytime inspection:

Just sit in a comfy spot and watch them... maybe toss out a bit of scratch.

I find i need a notebook to make sure I looked at all of them... and often a camera is good since they tend to move faster than my eyes can focus.

Look for:
Leg color
Swollen joints
Limping/odd movement
Lifted up scales on legs
Bright clear/clean eyes
Good comb and wattle color
Clean back sides
And sign of anyone getting bullied off of feed or water

Then, at night:
Feel the breast bone to make sure that they are in "good flesh" not too skinny or too fat.
Also, pick up a few and look very closely around the vent and under wings for external parasites.

Here is a keel bone diagram from the internet. You are aiming for # 3.

 

[aart]

As already mentioned, hens don't always lay like clock work.

So... a different amount of eggs doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Ditto Dat!

 

[myawesomepullets]

As already mentioned, hens don't always lay like clock work.

So... a different amount of eggs doesn't necessarily mean anything.

But... occasional flock inspections are important. So... I would suggest you do one of those,, and see how everyone looks..

Often, it is easiest to do part during the day, and the other part after the flock roost for the night.

So... daytime inspection:

Just sit in a comfy spot and watch them... maybe toss out a bit of scratch.

I find i need a notebook to make sure I looked at all of them... and often a camera is good since they tend to move faster than my eyes can focus.

Look for:
Leg color
Swollen joints
Limping/odd movement
Lifted up scales on legs
Bright clear/clean eyes
Good comb and wattle color
Clean back sides
And sign of anyone getting bullied off of feed or water

Then, at night:
Feel the breast bone to make sure that they are in "good flesh" not too skinny or too fat.
Also, pick up a few and look very closely around the vent and under wings for external parasites.

Here is a keel bone diagram from the internet. You are aiming for # 3.
View attachment 2592451

Thank you for helping! We had warm weather and a brief cold spell (which was when a couple of them stopped laying) and now it's back to 80 degrees after it was 40 for a few days, and all the pullets are laying again. I believe the cold weather was the reason a few weren't laying?? Not sure if that's a thing, but makes sense with what happened. This is really helpful for when I need to inspect them. Thanks!

 

[Alaskan]

Thank you for helping! We had warm weather and a brief cold spell (which was when a couple of them stopped laying) and now it's back to 80 degrees after it was 40 for a few days, and all the pullets are laying again. I believe the cold weather was the reason a few weren't laying?? Not sure if that's a thing, but makes sense with what happened. This is really helpful for when I need to inspect them. Thanks!

Any sudden large change of temperature can be stressful for them and get them to stop laying.

 

[myawesomepullets]

As already mentioned, hens don't always lay like clock work.

So... a different amount of eggs doesn't necessarily mean anything.

But... occasional flock inspections are important. So... I would suggest you do one of those,, and see how everyone looks..

Often, it is easiest to do part during the day, and the other part after the flock roost for the night.

So... daytime inspection:

Just sit in a comfy spot and watch them... maybe toss out a bit of scratch.

I find i need a notebook to make sure I looked at all of them... and often a camera is good since they tend to move faster than my eyes can focus.

Look for:
Leg color
Swollen joints
Limping/odd movement
Lifted up scales on legs
Bright clear/clean eyes
Good comb and wattle color
Clean back sides
And sign of anyone getting bullied off of feed or water

Then, at night:
Feel the breast bone to make sure that they are in "good flesh" not too skinny or too fat.
Also, pick up a few and look very closely around the vent and under wings for external parasites.

Here is a keel bone diagram from the internet. You are aiming for # 3.
View attachment 2592451

I was wondering how you check/inspect the keel bone, and where is it?

 

[Alaskan]

I was wondering how you check/inspect the keel bone, and where is it?

The keel bone is the breast bone.

It is easiest if they are all perching for the night.

You are feeling their breast area, where the wing muscles are.

Think of a rotisserie chicken at the store. Those are an upside-down bird, with two large breasts on either side of a blade like bone. That blade like bone is the keel bone/ breast bone. Do note, no layer will have the huge breast of a rotisserie chicken. That store chicken is a Cornish cross. Anyway....

I find it easiest to compare the girls.

So feel one along that keel bone/ breast bone. Then feel the next. After feeling 3 you should get an idea of what you are feeling.

If they are too skinny you can feel the edge of the bone, almost like a butter knife right under the skin.

Super fat. And you can feel fat between the muscle and skin.

 

[aart]

I was wondering how you check/inspect the keel bone, and where is it?