Not laying

[michael757]

It has been quite a while since I've seen my golden sex link lay an egg. she is the biggest of all of the flock, and she lays the least. at one point she was laying everyday but then stopped. Could this be a stress related issue? Not enough calcium? Was she just bred as a meat hen? I am starting to worry, could she be egg bound? If she was wouldn't something had happened by now? last time she laid was a few months ago. In January, we lost one of our hens, she disappeared. Then a month later another was attacks and killed by dogs. Then today at 3 a.m. we lost one of our others due to respiratory illness. Could it be stress related having lost 3 of her sisters in a short amount of time?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Definitely stress will make chickens stop laying. Predators snatching flock mates is the highest form of stress.

What are you feeding? A ration with 18-22% protein can help optimize laying. Layer ration usually doesn't have enough for most backyard flocks. Feed something like an All Flock or a non medicated grower. Keep a separate bowl of oyster shells for the calcium needs.

How old is your hen? Sex links are usually high egg production mixes.

 

[michael757]

Shes about 2. And we are feeding them Purina leyina for layers.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some sex links are done laying by 2. A higher protein feed might help her resume laying.

 

[michael757]

Wow i thought they stopped laying after about 4-6 years

 

[michael757]

Just found out my baby matilda, named after the song Waltzing Matilda, is the same name as the oldest chicken who lived also named after the same song. Having no knowledge of this hen who lived until now.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Wow i thought they stopped laying after about 4-6 years

Lines bred for extreme production are often subject to "burn out" at an earlier point than others - or to issues involving the reproductive tract. Many laying hens, including sex links, will lay into (and even beyond) the 4th year, though overall quality and quantity of eggs produced declines with each successive laying cycle.

 

[michael757]

Oh thank you for clearing that up for me.

 

[keesmom]

Shes about 2. And we are feeding them Purina leyina for layers.

Has she recently molted?

 

[michael757]

Around 3 months ago