I have a Marans hen that is just over 2 years old. She hatched a batch of eggs for me over 6 months ago n hasn't laid an egg since. This is her second time raising chicks. The first time she started laying again between 7-8 weeks after the chicks hatched. It's pretty bad when your chicks have matured n r now laying n u haven't started again yet! Any ideas y she hasn't started laying again? Anything I can do to try n get her laying again? I moved her away from the hens she raised n put her in a separate coop just before Christmas, but still no luck? I want to use her to cross with my Ameracuana roo so I can get some olive eggers but if she doesn't soon start to lay again she's going in the pot! I know she can't b finished laying all her eggs yet. She's only 2 years old, had a 10-11 week break when she raised her first chicks n has had a 6+ month break now. She didn't start laying until after she was 6 months old. So if u do the math on adverage she's 24 months old, but didn't lay eggs for 15 months of her life. That means she only laid eggs for 9 months. N on adverage I got 3 sometimes 4 eggs a week. So that's less than 150 eggs. Anyone got any ideas to try n save her from the dinner table?
It really sounds like she's done laying. That's a long off season! Did you get her from a trusted breeder? I don't know much about Marans yet, mine are coming in May, but from what I do know from friends that breed and family that owns some, they should lay for a solid 2-3 years like other chickens!
Sounds like bad timing to me. She finished raising her second clutch of chicks right as the light hours were dropping, and a hen will often not begin to lay when light hours are decreasing. Now that we're past the solstice, light hours are increasing again and she may begin laying this spring. (This is assuming that you don't supplement light to increase egglaying, of course.)
Yes, and she may have started molting once the chicks were weaned. She'll likely start up again soon.
WalkingOnSunshine No I don't supplement lighting. U have a good point though, may just b bad time. Happy Chooks I wondered if she might b molting as well but she never showed any signs of it. (Except for not laying) She's such a nice hen (very tame) n when she does lay she lays a large to extra egg. She's also n excellent mother. Guess I'm just gonna have to give her some more time. Mayb as the days get longer n things start to warm up she'll come around. Tks for the helpful info. I really appreciate it! God bless! Tim
I agree, it's probably just bad timing. At her age she was likely to not lay over the winter anyway, and due to the timing just never started back after the chicks were weaned. I'm pretty sure she'll start back up by Easter.
