My best layer is on strike

[Agent99]

i have three hens coming up a year old. All are good layers. For the past fortnight or so the best layer and leader of the pack, a light sussex, has laid no eggs. The others are still going. I live in New Zealand so we are coming into summer. They have free range over a good grassy area but I have checked thoroughly and no eggs anywhere other than the nest box. Nothing I can think of has changed. She looks fine, eats well and is still active. A fortnight or so she was on the laying box for several hours, and I was worrying she had gone broody. Later when she was off I found her egg on the ground. This is not uncommon - she ‘drops’ eggs around the place sometimes! This morning she was singing ‘the egg song’ and sitting on the nest and I thought Hooray! But no egg ... It’s a mystery. Any ideas?

 

[aesch]

You are quite positive the egg isn't being eaten, by her or something else? She might not be singing the egg song as much as looking for the rooster or dominant hen to come take her back to the flock. Shadrach wrote an impressive article on this. Another thought is that she's starting her molt and if so she won't lay for several weeks. I had a couple hens do a mini-molt their first year and they didn't lay then. But if she's eating and drinking and generally happy I'd just watch and wait for a little bit.

 

[Agent99]

There are no signs of egg eating or moulting. I’ll keep my eyes open as I watch and wait. One thing that occurs: they have a self-feeder with layer pellets, and each evening I also give them scraps and scratch and some greens. Lately I added a little bread. She gobbles it all down. Maybe she’s therefore not getting enough pellets (i. e. protein)

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I’m not an expert. But I don’t think bread offers them much in the way of nutrients. White bread certainly doesn’t. Stopping bread would be a good experiment, in any case.

 

[aesch]

Bread isn't the best choice but an occasional crumb won't hurt, although I agree with trumpet angel that cutting it out would be a good idea for now. You mentioned scraps and grains, too much of high fat feeds will cause the girls to stop laying. Might not be the issue now but something to keep in mind. How are they today?

 

[Agent99]

Yes, point take about the bread. I’m stopping that. Their new fave is brown rice with cider vinegar and raw garlic stirred through, but I’m going easy on that too! I wondered if they had mites (though no evidence) and read that CV and garlic are good for prevention. No change otherwise. Millly is dust-bathing and chilling in the shade while Molly and Mandy lay eggs

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Only cooked rice, right? Uncooked causes significant problems when it absorbs all available liquid inside.

 

[Agent99]

Yes of course cooked rice.