Not laying

[Vixen212]

Hey y'all! I have an EE that just turned a year old. She's never laid an egg and I'm baffled. Is she broken??? Haha I'm kidding but seriously, any ideas why? All of our other ladies lay almost every day. She's also super tiny compared to everyone else and would much rather be in the house or right beside me 24/7 over being a part of the flock. At night she snuggles under my brahma in a nesting box like a chick and is sort of an outcast in the flock always going off alone and doing her own thing. The others do tend to pick on her sometimes and run her off. It's not very often but it does happen occasionally. She's a very happy little chicken I'm just confused as to what's going on. I actually thought about just moving her inside full time.

Edit to add that they are all on layer feed, get a bit of scratch grain mixed in, they get fresh veggies/fruits daily, and free range most of the day. We also give them fresh oven baked fish once a week and occasionally a can of wet cat food. I've had this particular girl since the day she hatched, she's always been our favorite and always been the small little oddball.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Is she broken??? Haha I'm kidding but seriously, any ideas why?

Possibly broken, only one ovary releases yolks. And they hatch with all the ovum (or maybe folicles, my terminolgy memory is lacking here sorry) they will ever release on board.

EE *can* be sporadic layers. Most have been fine for me SO far.

Hidden nest? When she's "always off doing her own thing".. EE have been THE most notorious for this in MY own flock.

Laying eggs a color you're not expecting and thought to be someone else's?? They're not always blueish.

Not really ideal to have any non broody bird sleeping in nest boxes, but I know each flock has unique challenges.

Less desirable considerations.. internal laying that hasn't reared it's ugly head as EYP yet.. she certainly has red enough comb to indicate laying is possible.

Late bloomer, just gonna start laying as light is recently also rapidly increasing. (depending on your location)

Some EE are special birds! I find them a bit too active if healthy to be truly happy long term indoors. Also *most* of us cannot provide the full time commpanionship a flock can.

Ultimately you must do what YOU think is right for your flock and lifestyle. She does look plenty happy and healthy in the garden, despite being low on the pecking order.

Some birds are just smaller.. but it might be good to get a weight so you can monitor for changes.. and also provide extra feeders if not doing so already.. in case others are blocking her from one feed site.

Just some ideas.. Hope she surprises you soon!

 

[LizzzyJo]

My first instinct is to say that she was a late bloomer and then the lights went out (winter, depending on your location). My second thought is hidden nest. Possibly a hidden nest that is having a nightly raccoon visiter that cleans up the beautiful eggs for himself. I am absolutely not an advocate for house chickens. I love my flock, but they absolutely do harbor unhealthy microorganisms that are not good for humans to be in constant contact with. But, to each their own.

 

[Vixen212]

Possibly broken, only one ovary releases yolks. And they hatch with all the ovum (or maybe folicles, my terminolgy memory is lacking here sorry) they will ever release on board.

Thank you for the ideas! I've searched for a nest but I know they can be really sneaky so maybe I haven't found it? I'll have to go searching around again.
I've tried to get my hen out of the nest box but gave up after a while. She's 8 now and her age is starting to show so I've just let her be. She's the last one left out of her original flock (she was part of a group we rescued a few years ago and they had never seen grass. Poor girls had been stuck in a tiny coop with no where to roost or hardly move.) I think now it may be easier for her than the roost even though I've provided a few smaller ones for her. Thank you again, fingers crossed that she'll surprise me soon or I'll come across a very well hidden nest!

 

[maryn7]

Does the EE squat at all for you - or has she ever? I thought I had an EE dud. She started squatting with all the pullets else over the summer, and nothing came out. And she eventually stopped squatting.

Squats started up again about a month ago and she laid her first egg at exactly 10 months old.

But she was the same - always off doing her own thing, total ditz, bottom of the pecking order. Though once she started laying, everyone stopped treating her like a baby to be pushed around and she spends more time flocked up. Just this morning, I saw one of my other girls defer to her, so she's even moved up in rank.

All to say, she might never lay, and if she does - she'll do it in her own time.

Do keep an eye out, as others mentioned, for any signs she's feeling unwell. And you might think about switching to an all-flock with oyster on the side if she really isn't going to lay any eggs. Otherwise, nothing else to do but enjoy her company and hope she eventually gets with the program. She's a pretty bird.

 

[Vixen212]

My first instinct is to say that she was a late bloomer and then the lights went out (winter, depending on your location). My second thought is hidden nest. Possibly a hidden nest that is having a nightly raccoon visiter that cleans up the beautiful eggs for himself. I am absolutely not an advocate for house chickens. I love my flock, but they absolutely do harbor unhealthy microorganisms that are not good for humans to be in constant contact with. But, to each their own.

I didn't think about late bloomer and then winter. That could have happened, we're in Florida. Thanks for this! I'm definitely going around looking again for a hidden nest, hopefully my Easter egg hunt will be successful lol. My neighbor did just inform me a few minutes ago that he killed a huge rat snake that looked like he was trying to get into the coop so thats a possibility, just weird all the other eggs are usually fine every day. Neighbor also said they saw a big ole raccoon last week now that you've mentioned it.
Yeah I really don't want to move her inside (if we did it would be to the porch not really in the house) just wasn't sure if that would even change anything. Guess my thought was if she's on the screened in porch she wouldn't have anywhere to hide the eggs.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I didn't think about late bloomer and then winter. That could have happened, we're in Florida. Thanks for this! I'm definitely going around looking again for a hidden nest, hopefully my Easter egg hunt will be successful lol. My neighbor did just inform me a few minutes ago that he killed a huge rat snake that looked like he was trying to get into the coop so thats a possibility, just weird all the other eggs are usually fine every day. Neighbor also said they saw a big ole raccoon last week now that you've mentioned it.
Yeah I really don't want to move her inside (if we did it would be to the porch not really in the house) just wasn't sure if that would even change anything. Guess my thought was if she's on the screened in porch she wouldn't have anywhere to hide the eggs.

Yeah, I bet Mr. Raccoon and Ms. Rat Snake might be contributors to this. Does she ever go under things? Like a little hole under the coop?

 

[Vixen212]

Yeah, I bet Mr. Raccoon and Ms. Rat Snake might be contributors to this. Does she ever go under things? Like a little hole under the coop?

I just found a little hole where she can get under our porch, going to have my husband climb under and see if there's a nest under there and if not going to patch that up.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I just found a little hole where she can get under our porch, going to have my husband climb under and see if there's a nest under there and if not going to patch that up.

Keep us updated! I seriously doubt that’s where it is - but it would be very interesting!

 

[Vixen212]

Does the EE squat at all for you - or has she ever? I thought I had an EE dud. She started squatting with all the pullets else over the summer, and nothing came out. And she eventually stopped squatting.

Squats started up again about a month ago and she laid her first egg at exactly 10 months old.

But she was the same - always off doing her own thing, total ditz, bottom of the pecking order. Though once she started laying, everyone stopped treating her like a baby to be pushed around and she spends more time flocked up. Just this morning, I saw one of my other girls defer to her, so she's even moved up in rank.

All to say, she might never lay, and if she does - she'll do it in her own time.

Do keep an eye out, as others mentioned, for any signs she's feeling unwell. And you might think about switching to an all-flock with oyster on the side if she really isn't going to lay any eggs. Otherwise, nothing else to do but enjoy her company and hope she eventually gets with the program. She's a pretty bird.

She hasn't ever squatted for me before or if she has I haven't noticed. Definitely okay with us if she never lays, she's my daughter's little hen so she's here to stay either way! Really just wanting to make sure there wasn't something seriously wrong with her that I'm overlooking or missing. Other than being little and not laying there's been no signs of illness or acting out of the ordinary. Thank you so much for your response, I appreciate it! The total ditz killed me hahaha, I feel that so much with this girl!