My Top Chicken Stopped Laying

[saraanddave]

I've read through the various "stopped laying" messages but mine seems a bit different. My top chicken, a Sil-Go-Link named Silkie, of a small, 3-bird flock, was acting a little sickly about a month ago. She didn't eat much, and didn't seem her bossy self. And she stopped laying for a week. Then she did lay an egg - about 10 shades browner than usual, and nothing since for almost 3 weeks now. She is back to her perky self, and she spends time in the nest every day like she is getting ready to lay. She's not hiding her eggs, she just stopped. She's 4 years old and she has had very little slow down (she molts dead of winter and takes 7 weeks off) and starts right back up again.

I'll do another post about my Welsumer's lack of egg laying later... But I'm down to one, little wyandotte who, even in this hot weather, is giving us 4 a week.

Any thoughts about Silkie?

 

[chickenbottom]

wow 4 years i think its pretty normal for a 4 year old to stop laying maybe she is over heated or just done laying im not to sure

 

[JennsPeeps]

It is normal for them to slow down as they age. Have you wormed her recently?

 

[saraanddave]

I've never wormed my chickens. What are the symptoms that they need worming? The Wyandotte, by the way, is the same age as Sil Go Link.