Maran stopped laying! What to do?!

[Lahaina53]

I have five wonderful girls! They're all the same age, about 8 months old now. All of them have been laying consistently except for my maran. She started out laying in the nest box, then she would lay in the bush in our yard. I have been searching endlessly in the yard for the past week and have found nothing!! I even kept her to one area where if she were to lay, I would find out right away. What do you guys thinking is the problem here?? She is still eating, still pecking around, but I have noticed that she has been sitting a lot. When I feed them grapes, they all go cray cray over them and she doesnt even peck at the grape even if I put it right infront of her. Is it too early to be molting? Since my other girls are all still laying. Or should I be worried that something else is going on here? Please help!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Too young to molt, could be unwell, I had a Marian once, she didn't lay consistently, a few here, a while off, a few here, they are bred for egg color, not production.

 

[aart]

How long did you keep her confined to that area?

She could be going into a molt....have heard, and had one, go into a molt at 9 months.

But agree that Marans are often not the greatest layers.....
.....and first year pullets can slow down on the laying when the nights lengthen.

 

[Lahaina53]

I kept her to one side of the yard for about five days and that is when I started to get worried because she is still not laying. She is at the bottom of the pecking order and gets pecked on from time to time but nothing that draws blood. Today I am keeping her on the other side of the yard with her own food and treats. Should I stop with the treats? I feel so bad that she gets picked on! I hold her a lot and yesterday I noticed she has a small hard lump on the side of her butt. Could that be an egg inside? Thank you for replying!