my #1 layer quit/laying about a week ago?

[spotman47]

Have only 5 birds and the leghorn is the white layer, does any body have a idea why she quit layng about a week ago ?I have been giving a little cracked corn for a treat lately and also more greens but would that effect her though ?

 

[SproutGirl]

How old is she?

Do you think she is moulting?

Is she hiding her eggs in a new place?

Do you have any predators?

 

[luvbiddies]

I am having the same problem with my Blackstar and my Isa Brown hen's. They were laying fine, now for the past three days no eggs, I wondered if they were molting. I see them picking at the feathers on their breasts and under their wings. My younger pullets are not doing this and I dust them with DE for mites. Can anyone tell us about the molting process and what happens and how long it lasts?

 

[Whirlwind]

Could be molting. Is it hotter than usual there? If they are molting you will start seeing feathers and lots of them. Some molt slower and some faster usually when the days start getting shorter in the fall. They will not lay while they are molting. It was really hot here a couple of weeks ago. Really slows egg production down. Is someone stealing or eating the eggs.

 

[luvbiddies]

Quote:
Hi Whirlwind, well it is not as hot here as in previous summers (Detroit area). I haven't noticed any egg shells in the nesting boxes and I don't think anyone is stealing the eggs.

 

[Whirlwind]

If your chickens are eating the eggs they will eat it all. There could be a slight sticky mess left over. does not really seem likely tho if you havent had that problem before. Is is dark in your nest area?

 

[Judy]

Quote:
This kind of picking is a broody behavior. They could go broody, or they could just be "sort of" broody. These hormones are so messed up from trying to breed broodiness out of these chickens.

Here's the skinny on molting:

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf

 

[spotman47]

Back to orginal post, no eggs are being eaten there is no secret hiding place for eggs, also did'nt notice any extra feathers around so i think moulting is out but another factor is a new and different bag of feed was mixed in last week though and its noticably different they actualy back of on the feed when there getting more green stuff though.The more people i talk to it seems that the sudden change of feeds might be the culprit! ?

 

[Whirlwind]

That might be it. Someone else on here had that exact problem. Seems like I remember someone saying it may take them a couple of weeks to get used to the new feed. If I remember correctly the person had changed from crumbles to pellets and was all of the sudden getting no eggs.

 

[luvbiddies]

Well my blackstar laid one egg today, the ISA brown nothing. My nest boxes are not in the dark, and so I will have my husband lower them. I did put two golf balls in the nest that the blackstar laid in, maybe that did the trick. I also found a whole box of those plastic easter eggs, and I put one in each of the nest boxes. I will let you know tomorrow. Lisa