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.

 

[Skipcurt]

It’s possible that she was laying internally.
Sorry to hear that she passed away.

Is there an article here that discusses how to confirm this? How to do this? What to look for?

 

[Trish1974]

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

 

[Trish1974]

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

So sorry to hear that! I wonder if she was laying internally?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

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

Is there an article here that discusses how to confirm this? How to do this? What to look for?

@Skipcurt I'm sorry for your loss
The only way to know for sure what was going on with your girl is through necropsy.
You can refrigerate the body and send it to your state lab and get the results that way.
http://www.vet.uga.edu/dlab/

Or if you are up to it, perform your own informal investigation yourself. (see links below) Take photos as you go if you can, post them here or on the necropsy thread, we will help you with what you see.
You will need a sharp knife or scalpel. I do this outside on a plastic table, you may want to cover your table with a trash bag and have some paper towels handy. It really is not a bloody mess or anything like that. Sometimes you may encounter fluid in the abdomen, take note of that, but if you don't puncture intestines then usually there is not much fluids at all.
Cut where you can start examining inside the abdomen, look for egg yolks, pus, etc. that may be in the cavity there. Take note of any swelling/bloat of the intestines, work your way to the internal organs, photos of the liver and heart would be helpful. Look at the condition of the ovaries. It may seem all overwhelming, but once you get the carcass open, pretty much everything is right there, it's just the process of pulling out things so you can get a look at them. I hope I'm not too graphic there

Here's a manual that you may find helpful
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/focus/contents/ceva_necropsy.pdf

Here's a link to the necropsy thread, you may find it helpful by looking at photos - what people have posted. It's a long thread, but if you wish to post photos there that's fine, most of us are subscribed to the thread so we will see your post.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ning-contains-graphic-necropsy-photos.823961/

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[aart]

She has most certainly died.

Might want to open her up and take a look.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

It’s possible that she was laying internally.
Sorry to hear that she passed away.