Need ideas for non-laying chicken--a puzzle!

[MissChick@dee]

So weird...I could be wrong but don’t they molt around 16-18 months? Could she be a bit older than just one year? No discharge from her vent?? You’ve gloved & lubed and felt nothing???
Just weird. You would think you’d feel fluid build up on the abdomen or something hard. It would almost be better if you could find something. This not knowing stuff must be so frustrating. I’m very interested in how this plays out. Saying a little prayer for you and your hen. Keep us posted please.

 

[aart]

So it's been at least five days that I've cut way down on watermelon and other yummy treats plus I've been feeding them daily a bowl of organic whole milk yogurt + one crushed up calcium citrate pill. Plus they are now full time in a maybe 13 x 20 foot coop so no way possible to hide eggs, and still Betty isn't laying . . . . I also picked her up and looked her over very carefully again for mites or other skin problems and nothing. Do some chickens who are about a year old just not lay????

How old is she in months?
What is your general geographical location?
What is their regular feed?

You can fed a ton of calcium to a bird that's laying wonky shells, but if she's not getting enough of the nutrients that allow her to uptake, process, and apply that calcium, the extra calcium won't do a bit of good.

Is she's not laying at all, calcium may not have any affect

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So weird...I could be wrong but don’t they molt around 16-18 months? Could she be a bit older than just one year? No discharge from her vent?? You’ve gloved & lubed and felt nothing???
Just weird. You would think you’d feel fluid build up on the abdomen or something hard. It would almost be better if you could find something. This not knowing stuff must be so frustrating. I’m very interested in how this plays out. Saying a little prayer for you and your hen. Keep us posted please.

Most should molt their first adult fall. Usually they are older if they were hatched sooner in the year. Late summer hatches should still molt the following fall.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Most should molt their first adult fall. Usually they are older if they were hatched sooner in the year. Late summer hatches should still molt the following fall.

I’m wondering. If she is as the OP stated a year old she’s (give or take a bit) ready for a molt. I expect mine to start in about a month (give or take). I know its timed with sunlight hours and the drop of temperatures. Don’t know where th OP lives.

 

[seredni]

Well I don't think she's molting as she hasn't laid since April and I'm not seeing feathers on the ground.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Well I don't think she's molting as she hasn't laid since April and I'm not seeing feathers on the ground.

Wow...it is a Puzzle. Gotta keep us posted.

 

[seredni]

She is about a year. We've had her (Betty) since April. We "rented" her and a sexlink (Martha) from a Rent the Chicken franchise. We live in Spokane, WA, which is on the opposite side of WA state than Seattle. She gets the same feed as the other two (Martha and we added a Maran to the small flock) + bugs and now very little fresh produce. I have not felt up her vent (I think that's what it's called) as I've never done this before and have no idea what to do. She's very healthy and fat. I'm uploading some photos. Betty is the black and white one. Martha, the red sexlink, lays one egg a day, 7 days a week. While we are still technically 'renting' her and Martha, I'm going to keep Betty no matter what as if I send her back I have a feeling she will be a chicken dinner. Also, the photos show the old coop--they have a larger one now.