No eggs

[escripps]

Hello,

I am just trying to find more information and possibly help.

I have 7 hens that were all about 1 year old. 2 delaware's and 2 cuckoo murans that are great layers, 1 white crested polish who lays more reguarly than I expected. Than I have 2 crested cream leg bars... who laid maybe a few eggs when laying first started for the flock, but since then nothing. It is obvious they haven't because they have blue eggs. I have tried egg supplement and adding fake eggs to the nesting box. Recently, one has started 'crowing' and trying to mount the other hens. I am not sure why these two are not laying. I got them from a lady who raises chicks, but also orders from a hatchery and then resells.

Questions:
Is there anything I can do to encourage them to lay?
Is it possible that my hens just have some hormonal imbalance? Can this be fixed?
Does this have any implications for their health?
I also have a broody hen, how can I help her not be broody?

I've attached a photo of one of my cream legbars (about 2 weeks ago) plus the whole flock (from march)

 

[The Happster]

Looks like you have a rooster....

Broodiness can be sorted easily. Some people use broody jails. I just lock the eggbox door, but that probably isn't practical for you as it will stop the other hens from laying in there.

 

[escripps]

The crowing is very sporadic and I've read that the chicks are sex-linked so not sure how the hatchery sent a roo instead of a pullet. Both my cream legbars have big combs and I've gotten a total of maybe 4/5 blue eggs in the 6 months.

My husband thinks she's a hen and something went wrong and now more rooster like...

 

[The Happster]

Well it's not unheard of for a bird in an all-hen flock to stop laying and take on the role of rooster....just kind of rare. But the mating?? How old are they, by the way.
My first rooster didn't crow until at least 8 months. I thought he was a girl for ages.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Your CCLs are girls, nothing rooster-ish about them. Having a broody around can do weird hormonal things to a flock, so that might be related.

Breaking a broody: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air can flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[LaurieLP5]

Your CCLs are girls, nothing rooster-ish about them. Having a broody around can do weird hormonal things to a flock, so that might be related.

Breaking a broody: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air can flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

I had to get a smaller cage just to put my very broody buff Orpington in for bed every night (and not take up all the room for the others!) and then she would go into a bigger cage for the day for 3 days. She was fine for a month but she’s back in the cage again. But good point about messing with hormonal balance because about the time she first got broody, one of my Easter Eggers stopped laying! It’s been well over a month and no eggs from her. She seems fine otherwise.

 

[escripps]

Well it's not unheard of for a bird in an all-hen flock to stop laying and take on the role of rooster....just kind of rare. But the mating?? How old are they, by the way.
My first rooster didn't crow until at least 8 months. I thought he was a girl for ages.

They are a year old. All from a hatchery, not sure which as I got them from a lady that raises chickens, but neither of my CCLs lay.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They are a year old. All from a hatchery, not sure which as I got them from a lady that raises chickens, but neither of my CCLs lay.

Some birds are just duds. Not sure if that's the case with yours, and honestly I don't know if anything can be done to "fix" it. Are you completely sure the hens are only 1 yr old (like when you got them they were still chicks, or were they already being advertised as point of lay?)

 

[Sequel]

My sympathy with the op! I heard that when one goes broody it can encourage others to. One of my Salmon Faverolles flirted with being broody and now she’s molting! Now my little one year old EE is flirting with being broody. Neither is laying. I’m down to a 4 year old SF who had never gone broody and a one year old brown leghorn. It’s tough to keep a small flock!

 

[The Happster]

Her face looked like a boy to me, obviously not at one year though as there aren't any male saddle feathers.
I apologize to the hen for questioning her gender.
The mating is weird though. I've heard of crowing in hens, and spurs, but mating??
I'm glad someone was there who could give you correct information