One of my RIR hens stopped laying? Please help!

[Frozensheep]

Hi yall! This is my first year with chickens and ducks and I'm having concerns with one of my hens. I have 2 hens and one rooster, and 8 ducks. We haven't had any new additions to the flock since July. My ducks and one of my hens are laying just fine, but as of a few weeks ago, one of my hens has stopped laying. She shows no signs of illness or molting and all the birds are eating the same feed, with a few healthy treats here and there, and they have fresh water and bedding daily. I let them free roam the yard surpervised for a few hours every day. We're starting to get about 10 hours of sunlight every day and I've just installed a solar light inside the chicken coop where the hens lay to see if it helps any, but since my other ladies are still laying, I'm not sure if sunlight is the issue. The chickens were hatched back in early April this year and both hens started laying mid August. She seems happy and healthy, but I just can't for the life of me figure out why she's stopped laying! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[piminuse]

There are a couple reasons she may have stopped: it could be in response to the change of weather and lack of natural light or she's still figuring out how the whole laying thing works. One of my gals started in August then took a whole month off before picking back up again like nothing happened.

Keep an eye on her and look for signs of listlessness, downward tail or anything else that seems suspicious. If she's trucking on as normal then it's probably related to weather or her own anatomy.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We're starting to get about 10 hours of sunlight every day

You've likely identified the cause right here.. along with individual genetics.

Adding light is a personal choice.. and not one I choose. It's just less natural, and I'm not aiming for maximum production but maximum life. All the follicles that will ever become eggs are already in tact when hatched.. and no new ones will form.. so they have a finite number of eggs to lay throughout their life regardless of which season they get laid in. Yes laying hormone is light sensitive.. and varies by age, breed, and so many more things.. including nutrition, stress, etc..

For most flock.. having just a trio *could* be plenty stressful to stop one pullet from laying.. the describes age (they're not hens or roosters yet) and flock.. means there are more dynamic going on than might meet the eye.. My ducks were bastards to my chickens and keeping them together was not appropriate for my set up. Also mini or slow molts can be difficult to detect.

The main thing is she likely didn't read all of out rules about what they should do.. So it sounds like your pullet taking a break from laying may just be what's coming natural to her without anything having to be wrong. But we might NEED to see a pic.

 

[RevlisRemmah]

Could she maybe be laying somewhere else in the yard? Secret nest?

 

[aart]

I let them free roam the yard surpervised for a few hours every day.

Time for an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
Then maybe...
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

We're starting to get about 10 hours of sunlight every day and I've just installed a solar light inside the chicken coop where the hens lay to see if it helps any, but since my other ladies are still laying, I'm not sure if sunlight is the issue.

Some pullets will slow or stop laying their first fall/winter.
If light is not on timer, don't use it....consistence is very important with supplemental lighting.
I'll assume you are in the northern hemisphere, but....
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!