No Eggs

[MnC101010]

Been putting off writing this post.

Flock of 10 hens and essentially no eggs since Aug/Sept. They are not molting and are in good health currently (other than this issue....I believe).

Backstory is we lost 4 alpha/domenent hens last year and I'm wondering if that has something to do with it, psychologically.

There was a feather lose issue, last year, on most of the birds from either the alphas or another picker but everyone appears to have regrown their feathers now, including one hen whose back was bare for almost a year from someone or something. Her feathers are now thick and beautiful.

I'm at a lose for whats going on and am almost to the point of turning these (non) layers into meat birds.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ages of the birds? Are you in the northern hemisphere? It's completely normal for hens roughly 18 months and up to molt in fall and then not lay again until daylight lengths start increasing.

 

[MnC101010]

Ages of the birds? Are you in the northern hemisphere? It's completely normal for hens roughly 18 months and up to molt in fall and then not lay again until daylight lengths start increasing.

Hens are between 2-3 yrs old. It is not molt, as i mentioned. They are acting and look normal otherwise....just not producing. Thought id get more replies to help with this issue but guess not....

 

[jreardon1918]

Hens are between 2-3 yrs old. It is not molt, as i mentioned. They are acting and look normal otherwise....just not producing. Thought id get more replies to help with this issue but guess not....

Where are you located (region)? It could just be a light issue.
Here in NE USA, we have about 10.5 hours of light per day. Back late in November I started a lighting program to add morning light. The girls come out by 5 AM. That effectively increases their waking hours to 12 hours per day.
They definitely dropped production starting in September. Some of them were definitely molting. Now in January they are back in full production. We got 27 eggs in December. 99 through the first 19 days of January.
4 of the girls are only 9 months. Even they slowed/stopped for a while. The remainder are 1+-4+ years old. YMMV

 

[aart]

Thought id get more replies to help with this issue but guess not....

Well, you didn't come back to answer the questions asked..and still haven't answered them.
It's kinda slow around here in the middle of winter, most folks here are from the US.

 

[MnC101010]

I replied to the prior post and am not getting notifications for replies to my post.

We are located in S. California and have light control for them. They are getting 12-13 hrs of light a day currently. I'm pretty well versed with the hens and know/checked most of your standard issues with hens not laying. They stopped producing back in August/September and are still not producing (except one hen that recently started laying). In this region, weather is good for most of your standard "winter". This isn't a reduction in production, this is a complete stoppage in production (all hens).

Has anyone had experience with the alpha hen issue that I listed in my original post? This is the most obvious issue.

We did loose another hen this week, who got sick and stopped most of her activity. She had diarrhea and was just stationary (for the most part) for the better part of a week. I drenched her several days during this period but it wasn't sufficient.

An internal parasite issue seems to be the #1 possible issue but I'm not well versed in this. Anyone? IF so, what did you do?

 

[aart]

This isn't a reduction in production, this is a complete stoppage in production (all hens).

That is alarming.
Can often be due to free ranging and all of them deciding they found a better place to lay.
Or an egg stealing predator, but that's a lot of eggs.
It could be whatever disease killed your 2 birds.
Only way to know what that would be is have a necropsy done.

 

[MnC101010]

It is...

I've got to do a deep dive on parasites (external and internal) and see what I find. Unfortunately, I haven't spent enough time doing that.

They don't free range (too many vultures, coyotes and hawks constantly in our area), as they are in an enclosed run and coop.

Thanks Art

 

[rosemarythyme]

Hens are between 2-3 yrs old. It is not molt, as i mentioned. They are acting and look normal otherwise....just not producing. Thought id get more replies to help with this issue but guess not....

I still think post-molt stoppage would explain most of it, unless you're saying they did not molt at all this year?

Granted I don't get nearly the length of sunlight that you do but it's completely normal for my hens to not lay at all for months post-molt. I haven't gotten an egg this year since... maybe late Sept or early October,.

And I responded they day you posted originally, I'm sorry you didn't get more responses back then but generally folks wait for more information before jumping in.

As far as a possible parasite issue for both internal and external parasites you don't need to check the whole flock, a visual exam of a few birds should answer any questions about whether there's lice or mites. Internal parasites, you'd need to take a fecal sample to a vet and have a float done to check for worms.

 

[Mrs. K]

Regardless, I would add new chicks this spring. The things that really effect laying are:

• light
• age of the bird - older birds lay less often and have longer periods of non laying
• diet - not so much, unless they are starving, a lot of people on here are incredibly picky about what their birds eat...and yet I bet they themselves eat potato chips.
• in order for parasites to effect laying, the bird would be unthrifty, and starving. Most hens, with a good layer feed can manage a few parasites, not that I am in favor of parasites.

I do not think a loss of the dominant birds would have an influence of laying habits of birds. Numerous times, I lost a flock or most of a flock due to predators - never affected any of the ones left, other than a day or two.

Mrs K