non-laying chicken actually was sick

[chickbliss7]

I have a Barred Rock that didn't lay eggs, although all her same-age sisters had been laying for months. She was prone to diarrhea, but otherwise didn't seem sick. Until one day, she clearly looked bad and got in the nest box and stayed there for 2 days. She was irritable and wouldn't eat. Finally, I took her to the vet and they performed a fecal test. I suspect she had had an fecal infection since I brought her home at 2 days old (we had treated her for Pasty Butt), but it was a low-grade problem. After we got home from the vet's, we put her in our guest bathroom for 4 days and she used the sink to sleep in at night. She began to eat and drink, and we gave her twice daily antibiotics. After several days, when she seemed better, we moved her back to the coop. A few weeks later, she began laying eggs for the first time! If any of you have non-laying hens, when they clearly should be old enough to be laying, suspect an infection and look for a competent avian vet. My vet told me it's extremely unusual not to have a hen lay eggs; that this is what they've been bred for. So, look for other reasons!