Not laying but frequently in nest box

[Zwillingsmama]

I have 5 chicken, they just turned 2 years. 3 of them are doing their regular laying 4-5 eggs each in a week. My EE is down to 1 egg a week but every day she will spend about 1 hour in the nest box - just no egg. My OE is even worse. No egg in 3/4 weeks but will sit in the egg box, comes out and makes a ruckus just like when she actually layed an egg. Any idea what is going on? Especially the OE was a great layer before she stopped from one day to the other.

 

[AgnesGray]

Are you sure someone isn't eating the eggs? When my egg count went down, I found I had an egg eater. We had a rollaway nest box and everything and she was putting her head down in the tray and pulling the eggs up to eat them, shell and all.

 

[Zwillingsmama]

Since I have only one EE and one OE I would find it strange that only those eggs would be eaten also today for example I checked right after she made the ruckus. I would guess I would find some kind of evidence if an egg had been eaten.

 

[i_love_chickens_017]

She could be egg bound, if she is, give her a bath in warm water

 

[jeepgrrl]

Feel around her abdomen as well, she could also be internally laying. It will feel like there are golf balls in her abdomen.

 

[AgnesGray]

Since I have only one EE and one OE I would find it strange that only those eggs would be eaten also today for example I checked right after she made the ruckus. I would guess I would find some kind of evidence if an egg had been eaten.

Probably so, but I have one who is skilled at eating the whole thing without a trace. She doesn't discriminate on whose eggs she is stealing though. Hope whatever it is can be helped and solved. Good luck

 

[Zwillingsmama]

I went and checked their bodies. Everything feels normal to me. Meaning everything is soft around their vents and their belly. They look and act normal although the Oe behaved tired a few days ago but that was over within an hour or so.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have a special needs "faker" that lays maybe 4x a year, but sits in the box daily as if she were laying, sings the egg song, and takes credit for other chicken's eggs. Also have a retired layer that occasionally goes and lounges in the nests for a few days in a row, then stops, like she suddenly remembered she no longer lays.