My Ameraucana has laid ONE egg and hasn't laid since!

[krob925]

I have four chickens, and at about 5 months old my husband removed the divider that kept their nesting boxes closed off. My Ameraucana literally jumped up to the box as we were standing there and sat right on down in that box! We closed the lid and left her alone not knowing what that meant exactly (but were hopeful!). Two hours later we checked and there was a beautiful green egg laying there! This was the first of the whole group that laid an egg and we were thrilled. Two days later the rest started laying and ever since then (January 3) the Ameraucana has not laid another egg. She seems fine. Doesn't appear to have any heath issues. I have seen her lay in the nesting box a few times but not much. We get three a day, none of them green. Any suggestions? Is it possible that her egg has changed color? We have kept a lamp in the coop so they get plenty of light (and warmth) in their younger months.

 

[chicklover 1998]

They do not really need extra light it shortens their laying years, are you sure she isn't eating her eggs.

 

[krob925]

we stopped using the light a few weeks ago. If she was eating them I would think we would see some indication of shell or yoke - I've seen nothing - but will keep an extra eye out. Just today I kept all four girls in their run for the day and came home to 3 eggs all together. None green.

 

[chicklover 1998]

sometimes there is nothing left they eat the whole shell and suck up all the egg.

 

[aart]

we stopped using the light a few weeks ago. If she was eating them I would think we would see some indication of shell or yoke - I've seen nothing - but will keep an extra eye out. Just today I kept all four girls in their run for the day and came home to 3 eggs all together. None green.

Shutting the light down could have stopped the laying.
How long was the light on per day before you shut it down?

Egg eating can be hard to spot, look for a wet spot in nests bedding, they often can't get it all cleaned up.



So you usually free range but kept them penned for one day to see if the EE(Ameraucana don't lay green) was laying?
If you suspect she may be laying out in range area, you might have to keep them all confined for longer than one day to (re)train them to using the coop nests.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[mspector]

My Ameraucana did the same. We got 6 hens on February 20: 2 Plymouth barred, 2 Rhode Island reds, 2 Ameraucana. One Ameraucana flew the coop and met an untimely demise. We got our first brown egg on July 4 and soon got up to 4/day most days (occasionally only 3). Got the first bluish egg beginning of August. One of the barred went broody so wasn't laying but I think she's over that now and other than her being bitchy her broodiness didn't seem to affect the others. However there haven't been any more Ameraucana eggs! I don't think there are any signs of egg eating. Twice we had a brown egg with small holes in the shell but didn't go through