new egg layer stopped laying?

kmdodge2015

Chirping
Sep 13, 2020
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63
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I have a Spitzhauben that started laying when she was 5 months old. She laid 3 eggs over 2 weeks. She has not laid since and she is now 8 months old.
She acts like she will lay, makes nests, tries to jump up the fence, gets very anxious and sings the eggs song. No eggs. I put a camera in the coop, no laying then eating eggs. Just nothing.
What can I do? She acts normal and happy, still playful, eating, drinking and being the top hen.
She is still being mated by the rooster.
She does eat oystershell.
She stays enclosed on the run, no free ranging, so no lost eggs. No worms, she had tapeworms months ago but was treated(all were) and no worms now. Not molting that I can see, no lice.
 
I think her issue is she refuses to eat any oysters hell or egg shells so she isn't producing enough calcium?? She layed one soft shell egg since this post and thats it. No matter what I try she will not eat any calcium supplements. I have a mixed flock and feed all flock feeds I may have to separate her and a few other hens and give them layer feed.
 
Calcium won't make them lay, but you can try this with the birds that are having soft shell issues (if there's multiple birds you can do this with a group and isolate the group, but I wrote this up for a solo scenario):

If you know exactly which bird is the problem bird, isolate her for a private breakfast. 2-3x a week serve a small bowl (like 1 Tbsp is fine) of wet or fermented feed with oyster shell mixed in. If she does not like chunks of oyster shell, crush it up or use the powdery remnants from bottom of the bag. Should only take her minutes to eat and after that she's free to go.

Assuming her issue is simply insufficient calcium intake, you should see results in a week or two, and you can try reducing it to 1-2x a week and should hopefully continue getting good results. If you still have the same issue, then you might need to try pills of calcium citrate instead for a faster, bigger calcium boost.
 
She will not ea anything but the pellet food, we tried fermented and she just won't, she is the most finicky bird I have ever had 😅😅 she won't even eat any treats, fruits or veggies🙃 ill try isolating her and seeing if she will eat the shells or ostershells and try the fermented for her isolated! She was born in the beginning of spetemeber and has only laid 4 eggs now. She is my only white egg layer so easy to tell its her. My other birds lay and take oyster shell great!!! If the isolating doesn't work I can try the pills. I'm really worried about her bones at this point and will try anything for her!

Thank you so much for the help!!!!!

Calcium won't make them lay, but you can try this with the birds that are having soft shell issues (if there's multiple birds you can do this with a group and isolate the group, but I wrote this up for a solo scenario):

If you know exactly which bird is the problem bird, isolate her for a private breakfast. 2-3x a week serve a small bowl (like 1 Tbsp is fine) of wet or fermented feed with oyster shell mixed in. If she does not like chunks of oyster shell, crush it up or use the powdery remnants from bottom of the bag. Should only take her minutes to eat and after that she's free to go.

Assuming her issue is simply insufficient calcium intake, you should see results in a week or two, and you can try reducing it to 1-2x a week and should hopefully continue getting good results. If you still have the same issue, then you might need to try pills of calcium citrate instead for a faster, bigger calcium boost.
 

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