No eggs and now red tail and wing tip - pics. Thoughts?

[familypendragon]

This is my very first flock so please be gentle if I am asking stupid questions, LOL My flock consists of 9 - one month old chicks, 6 roughly 5 month old Black Australorps and Golden Laced Wyandottes who aren't yet laying, and one @9 month old Rhode Island White who I bought already laying about 2 weeks ago. She laid about 6 days a week only ever missing one day. She didn't miss a beat after the car ride here or even after a dog attack that claimed 6 other birds - she is a trooper. Now suddenly no eggs for 4 days in a row. They are in a run and there ins't any place else to really hide them though I have looked. She is acting totally normal, scratching and pecking and being silly all day. She doesn't seem ill or anything and she doesn't appear to be molting that I can tell. We did have lots of rain and wind for the past few nights, but she was safe in her coop.... should I worry? Am I doing something wrong or is this a normal cycle? I feed layer pellets, and I feed back egg shells ground up, and there is chick starter everywhere if she wants it because of the chicks. Any advice? Thanks so much

 

[Judy]

First of all, there are no stupid questions! We were all beginners at some point -- and no one ever learns it all.

One possibility, if you just got them, is that she laid the eggs that were already formed or forming, but stopped forming them because of the move. It takes several days (I forget how many) for the egg to grow and aquire its shell, and work its way down the oviduct. If this is what is going on, she will settle down and start again, in time, hopefully not a lot of time, maybe a week or two. Another is that she is laying them somewhere besides the nest you made for her. If they have access to places to hide them, for example if they are loose in your back yard, this is a strong possibility. It's not unusual for them to find a hiding place for their eggs. Actually it can take some effort to get them to lay where you want them to. I have an older flock and just found two hidden nests, after some 2 to 4 years of laying in the nests in the coop.

Here is a good summary of the various things that can happen:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/423023/why-arent-my-chickens-laying-here-are-your-answers/0_20

 

[familypendragon]

Thanks for the reply She has been here 2 weeks, so I don't know how long they cycle would take for the preformed eggs that were already there to work their way out - but that seems like it would only be days not weeks? Maybe? I read the three articles from the sticky last night and I can't find anything that for sure applies :/ The run is only 50' x 12' and the coop is raised. She doesn't like using the nesting boxes inside but has laid every egg in a big hot pink bin I got for her which is under the coop since that is where she seemed to prefer to lay, LOL! I've seen her sitting in there but nothing gets left behind. She gets layer feed plus a ton of bugs and crushed egg shells that I clean and dry first. The coop is clean and dry, they have to clean waterers that are constantly full. I am a SAHM so I keep a close eye on them. I am wondering if my being in there so much might actually be bothering her? I spend a lot of time in their petting and handling the chicks. While the older pullets that I bought as "adults" from others are not friendly - the chicks I have raised are super friendly lap chickens that run up to be pet etc. I saw someone else posted a similar issue and someone recommended upping calcium so perhaps I will try that

 

[SymanSaysFarms]

I grabbed this from another post where people were talking about the laying cycle of a hen..... very interesting!

"Chickens only have one functioning ovary and follicles, "tiny eggs/yolks," develop in a hierarchy. So at any given time, yolk is being deposited on multiple follicles. Follicles enter a phase called rapid development where yolk is deposited for 8-10 days before being laid. Eggs are not developed in 24 hours, but due to the hierarchy, chickens are able to lay eggs daily because as one egg is laid, another is reaching its final phase of development.

Follicular hierarchy"

 

[familypendragon]

I saw another thread where adding more calcium was recommended so I went and bought the oyster shell supplement today. I also got them some mealworm treats (blech!) so hopefully she will get back to laying soon. I also remember another incident but can't remember the day it happened to think if it might be related. There was a washtub out there that I though she might like for a nesting box. One afternoon I noticed I hadn't seen her for a while and came to realize she had flipped it on top of herself and I don't know how long she'd been under there but it may have been quite a while. Perhaps that period was traumatic or was a long enough period without water or feed that is set her system off a bit. She is a very cool if not affectionate chicken. Her name is Clara, but with all she's been through and her natural protective instinct toward all chicks including guineas - I may change her name to GI Jane

 

[SymanSaysFarms]

Awww!!!! Poor silly, little girl! That would definitely be a stressful event that would cause her to not lay for a couple days. Adding the oyster shells is a good idea for strengthening her shells. What kind of feed is she on? Adding some BOSS for added protein may help. Just don't over-do it as it should just be given as a treat. How are the temps where you are? Extreme temperature fluctuation can mess with a hen's egg production as well.

 

[familypendragon]

I've changed my avatar to her picture She is on Layer Pellets, although as we were starting to run low yesterday I decided to try the Layena plus with Flax for Omegas in case that helps too. She has been helping herself to the calcium too.

Weather here in north Texas has been mostly in the high 80's to low 90's. And DH reminded me I already renamed her to Sarah Connor, LOL! The chicken with many names.

She was making a purring noise while I was in there today. Still no eggs - 6 days now. I notice the other 6 pullets that are 5+ months are all sort of making dirt nests to sit in and hanging under the coop a lot and wondering if they might be preparing to start laying. I saw someone ask somewhere on here if the comb of a pullet had gotten very red yet as that was a means of telling how close they were to laying. Is that an old wives tale or true?

Thanks to anyone willing to share their wisdom

 

[SymanSaysFarms]

The change in food may really help her. I've read a lot of people here love that blend of food. And it's great that she's been interested in the oyster shells. At this point, I would just give her more time. She looks very healthy from your avatar. How are her feathers looking? Any falling out? If they are, she could be molting. Also check her for mites/lice. You can do this by looking at the feather shanks down by her vent area. You should be able to see clear down to the skin with no "dirt" hanging on to the shanks. Just brainstorming possibilities out loud

But I would bet on the move and the heat being her source of not laying.

The comb reddening as the new layers are getting closer to their first egg is 100% true. They will also start doing the egg squat. This is when they squat down, shuffle their feet, spread their wings and flatten their backs (it's what they do when a rooster does his "thing") But they can and will do it for you as they see you as dominant if there's no rooster around. That's a very telling sign they're close. They will also be more interested in visiting the nesting boxes and singing egg songs. All in preparation for the big day!

 

[familypendragon]

Well.. still no eggs. Don't know what to think. She isn't in any apparent discomfort that I can tell. I don't know if she might be molting already... never having seen a molt before. I expected to see feathers every where and for her to look somewhat more naked than normal. That isn't the case. Her feathers have become dull, her tail feathers look ragged, and it seems like there is a paleness to the red of her comb. I have checked her repeatedly for being egg bound and there is definitely nothing there. She is eating normally, using the calcium provided, and enjoys fresh greens and garden scraps. I feed her tons of pillbugs and grasshoppers I catch in the garden as well. I don't know what to think. On he recommendation of a friend I checked her vent today. But having never looked at one before I don't know what its supposed to look like, LOL! It was not poopy or messy... possibly there may have been some inflammation? There were two pinkish bumps inside the vent. But that might be totally normal - I have been looking online trying to find a picture of what a healthy vent looks like and just keep getting images of something called gleet (shudder), LOL! So - molting? Infection? Sick bird? Perfectly normal? Wait? Cull?

 

[Cotton42]

Well.. still no eggs. Don't know what to think. She isn't in any apparent discomfort that I can tell. I don't know if she might be molting already... never having seen a molt before. I expected to see feathers every where and for her to look somewhat more naked than normal. That isn't the case. Her feathers have become dull, her tail feathers look ragged, and it seems like there is a paleness to the red of her comb. I have checked her repeatedly for being egg bound and there is definitely nothing there. She is eating normally, using the calcium provided, and enjoys fresh greens and garden scraps. I feed her tons of pillbugs and grasshoppers I catch in the garden as well. I don't know what to think. On he recommendation of a friend I checked her vent today. But having never looked at one before I don't know what its supposed to look like, LOL! It was not poopy or messy... possibly there may have been some inflammation? There were two pinkish bumps inside the vent. But that might be totally normal - I have been looking online trying to find a picture of what a healthy vent looks like and just keep getting images of something called gleet (shudder), LOL! So - molting? Infection? Sick bird? Perfectly normal? Wait? Cull?

From the way you describe her it sounds like she's molting. Give her time, she'll start laying again eventually.