Long time with no eggs

[collitchboy]

Good morning. Last year I acquired me first chicks (Brahma, Leghorns, minorca) and raised them all to maturity. The leghorn laid quite well as did the brahma (or at least both were in line with what I expected). However after about 5 or 6 weeks of laying both slowly came to a halt. This was last summer some time and I have not seen an egg since.

Does anyone have any ideas? I have not noticed any signs of infection and the eggs that were produced had nice hard shells of the appropriate color, size, etc. If there were some sort of viral infection could it have gone on this long? Is it likely these birds will ever lay again? I am contemplating getting more chickens but am in sort of a quandary because I don't know if I should keep the other birds around the new ones.

Thanks for any info.

 

[Angiebubs]

I can think of a couple things: What is the weather/daylight like? Could they have gone into amoult followed by shortened daylight?

The other would be diet-are they overweight? Underweight? balanced nutrition?

Have you checked for mites/lice?

Are they free range and possibly hiding their eggs?

 

[collitchboy]

It seems unlikely that they would have been caught by shortened daylight in July and I am unaware that they have molted (have not looked 'scraggily' at all). They do not appear over/under weight and I am feeding them Purina layer feed and sprinkling grit with the occasional wild birdfood.

I have looked for mites and thus far have been unable to find any.

They are not free range.

 

[farmer boy]

i never had this well i did once but she only lays in the summer time she is a mille fleur cross so its harder for that type of bird to lay in cold weather but with yours idk what it could be never had this happen before so they are around 2 years then right ?

 

[collitchboy]

They would be approaching 1 year now.

 

[Angiebubs]

colitchboy: wow! You have me very curious now!

Most common reasons for hens to stop laying:
Shorter daylight hours=No
Feed (weight)=No (I have heard some people feel negative abotu Purina layer-I can't believe any chicken feed would cause them to stop laying though)
Moulting=not for this long
Constant source of water available? (Even a short time without water available can cause days-weeks of no laying)
Age=no
Calcium always available? (oyster shell?)
Disease= I would think that there would have been signs of this after this much time (Do any look dull, listless, cough, sneeze?)
Stress=is it possible something is disturbing them when your not around? Wet bedding, amonia?

(OK so yes-I am googling mutiple sites for any possible answers!) I am really curious on hearing what other opinions people can offer? Maybe try adding vitamins (Nutridrench is great) and see if that helps at all?

G0od luck!

 

[collitchboy]

I really appreciate the effort Angie.

The water source is constantly available however I only change it every three days or so. I have wondered if that might be the culprit.

The oyster shell I used to have freely available and only recently started that again.

I guess perhaps a bigger question is if they have gone this long with out laying, can/will they ever start again?

 

[Angiebubs]

I would think they would start laying if you figure out the cause.

I wouldn't think the water being 3 days old should matter-after all look at wild birds-as long as its clean.

I would see if the calcium makes a difference.

 

[farmer boy]

my mother said maybe for stress or something i had a bird stop laying for a while because of stress maybe thats why ? idk im just trying to help out ... well if their not laying i wouldn't keep feeding them layer or anything to much protein and they have nothing to use it for if their not laying .... what are their nest boxes like ??

 

[collitchboy]

Well the only potential stress I can think of would have been this weekend when I rebuilt their coop. Other than that I cannot think of any kind of continued stress that would prevent them from laying for the last 9 or 10 months.

There nest box was one that I had purchased from Tractor Supply pre-built. I had it filled with pine shavings but after a month or so of them not laying I removed it and have not considered putting it back,