new layer suddenly quit - what's wrong?

[derby]

My black Australorp laid her first egg on 8/15. She laid the next one 3 days later and then they started coming closer and closer together. She eventually laid 6 days in a row, but now I haven't gotten an egg in 5 days. Is there something wrong? What could it be?

Derby

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

HOw old is she? That does not sound good but can you give us a little bit of info. Has she been free ranging? Does she have a large lower abdomen? Is she eating and drinking? Tell us anything you can about her that will help us help you

 

[derby]

She is 5 1/2 months old. She roams the yard for a few hours each day. I don't let her out of her run until late morning after she lays her egg.

She laid Wednesday. She did eat a rubber band I had dropped 3 days before that. She didn't lay Thursday. I figured it was normal for her to skip a day after laying 6 days in a row. Thursday and Friday were so rainy, I didn't let her out of her covered pen. We went away over the weekend. The sitter didn't let her out over the weekend (I told her not to) and she said the hen didn't lay while we were away. Could she be on strike because she was cooped up?

When we got home today, I let her out and she is behaving normally. She ran around, took her dust bath, followed us around, etc. I'm not sure I would know if her abdomen looks the same or not

I 'll take a closer look tomorrow morning.

I started mixing in layer feed with the end of the chick feed. I haven't picked up any oyster shells yet because I didn't realize she would need it until after I read the layer feed bag. I have mixed in boiled, crumbled egg shells.

I hope she is ok - I'm rather fond of her!

Derby

 

[Indiana hens]

Rubber Bands are not good they can't digest them. Definitely keep artificial worms away from them big ones will kill them within 24 hours. I couldn't move fast enough when cleaning out a boat 20 years ago!

 

[derby]

It's been about 9 days since she ate the rubber band - so I'm guessing that's not a problem.

I don't know much about chicken anatomy, put she looks ok to me this morning. Her abdomen isn't any bigger or lower than the other hens (who aren't laying yet). She is in good spirits and eating and drinking. I picked her up and gently rubbed her abdomen, but I didn't feel anything that seems odd.

Any ideas?

Derby

 

[Dar]

could she have a stash of eggs hiding somewhere?...I have one hen that will lay between 2-3PM ..so they dont always lay in the morning

watch her when she is free ranging...look for secret little places where she may be hiding her eggs

 

[Kate Lawry]

This sounds the same as our chicken, she is about the same age as yours and she was laying nearly everyday for 2 weeks after we got her and now has stopped, it has been just over a week now. We hope she is moulting as there are a few feathers about.
Maybe yours is moulting?

 

[DLS]

does she SQUAT?
If so, grab take her by the neck gently shake it , then rub her back few times then I take her tail feathers & shake them .. I think they believe they have been mated!! in a couple days the start laying. I have had it happen in less than 1 hour they go to the nest box.? maybe some of the old timers here can explain this .. I was told this by an old man that raised yard birds.

 

[derby]

Much ado about nothing , I guess. She laid a perfectly beauitful egg this morning, though a bit bigger than the other ones. Perhaps she was on strike for being penned up for a week after all...

Thanks,
Derby

 

[Fast Chick]

Mine did the same, each one of them woud start laying then stop for a week or more before starting up again. Since then everyone's been laying just fine.