Non-egg laying hen

[Skipcurt]

Anyone ever have a hen that never laid an egg? I have 6 hens all different breeds that are 1 yr old. 99% sure it's my Speckled Sussex.

 

[Grits&Eggs]

yikes, just got some speckled sussex chicks, one year should be old enough to lay - are you sure you don't have a rooster

 

[Skipcurt]

Not a rooster. They finished their molt about 2-2.5 months ago and started laying again. Except for her. They are mostly confined but do forage in the back yard about 1-2x week. There is also supplemental grit and oyster shell available if they want/need it. Plenty of fresh water and egg layer feed with protein from 18% - 22%.

 

[Trish1974]

Interesting... There has been quite a few posts lately about Speckled Sussex not laying.

 

[Rlmp817]

My speckled Sussex is the MOST emotional bird. Everything seems to throw her off laying. When she does lay, she is great and consistent though. 3 days on one day off. She is just a year old.
So that being said, can you think of anything stressing her out? Other than the molt?

 

[Skipcurt]

My speckled Sussex is the MOST emotional bird. Everything seems to throw her off laying. When she does lay, she is great and consistent though. 3 days on one day off. She is just a year old.
So that being said, can you think of anything stressing her out? Other than the molt?

Not that I can think of. This is my first experience with chickens but it seems like they have a pretty normal, non-threatening life with nice housing. No dogs, kids or predators bothering them. We talk to them, they get healthy treats a few times a week and they allow me to pet them except for her and sometimes 1 other.
I'd love to get a motion activated video security camera to run for a week or so to see what the story is in there.

 

[Rlmp817]

Not that I can think of. This is my first experience with chickens but it seems like they have a pretty normal, non-threatening life with nice housing. No dogs, kids or predators bothering them. We talk to them, they get healthy treats a few times a week and they allow me to pet them except for her and sometimes 1 other.
I'd love to get a motion activated video security camera to run for a week or so to see what the story is in there.

How big is your coop/run set up? Some birds like extra space. Do they free range? Could she be hiding her nest? What color are her comb & wattles? I have noticed that my lady's comb goes really pale when she is stressed, even when the other birds are fine and laying.

 

[aart]

I have 6 hens all different breeds that are 1 yr old.

Not a rooster. They finished their molt about 2-2.5 months ago and started laying again. Except for her. They are mostly confined but do forage in the back yard about 1-2x week. There is also supplemental grit and oyster shell available if they want/need it. Plenty of fresh water and egg layer feed with protein from 18% - 22%.

How old are they in months?
Usually chickens do not molt until about 14-18 months old.

If they molted last fall, she may just not have started back up yet.
Is her egg unique enough to easily tell from the other birds eggs?

If she meets the 'in lay' requirements from these tests:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
Lock them up for a week.

 

[Skipcurt]

Well, I'm sad to say that my Speckled Sussex has passed. I went out yesterday to retrieve our daily egg supply and noticed that she was laying on the ground and kind of panting. It certainly wasn't hot here yesterday so that's what struck me as odd. All the other birds were walking around her and she was not getting up to move. Fast forward to this morning and I look outside to the coop from the house and see she's in roughly the same spot and not moving. She has most certainly died.
I don't know a whole lot about chickens as this is my first time having them but all the other birds are giving eggs and seem to be healthy. She was always the one that was just a little different than the others. Maybe she just had some type of defect from birth. I don't know.
I will keep a close eye on the others to see if anything is happening within the flock. I sure hope not.

Skip

 

[aart]

She has most certainly died.

Might want to open her up and take a look.