??????'s about molting, egg laying, and egg drop syndrome

[Break an Egg]

I have a hen that was hatched around spring last year. She started laying around Sept of last year and layed for 2 months. She has never started laying again. From what I can tell she has never molted either. Her feathers around her back look ragged and she is all dull. The back area couldn't be from the rooster. I just got a rooster last month and he's really young and not doing his deed yet.

I feed all my chickens layer pellets plus plenty of table scraps. I just started adding BOSS to their feed.

I had another hen who was the same way. She hardly laid and then she stopped laying all together, and then she never molted and she started to get white on her feather tips and her original color was dark brown.

I was reading about egg drop syndrome. Could this be what is going on? Is it contagious?

Also, is there any chance that the climate where I live has any thing to do with the non molting? We have very mild winters and plenty of sunshine.

Thanks to anyone who can help me with this enigma.

 

[fishermans wife]

I am sorry you are not getting eggs. I go through periods of that and it is frustrating. Have you ever wormed them? That, and mites or lice would be my first guess with the dullness of feathers, and I guess where I would start. Hopefully someone more knowlegeable will chime in soon!

 

[can you hear me now?]

I will agree about treatment for mites. As for the egglaying, you will have to factor in many hints to determine whether it is the while egg drop syndrome or not. I would first eliminate any reason that they may not be laying first. Chickens are strange when they become stressed. Are they getting enough light? I actually had to put Windows in my chicken house. They couldn't see the light and wouldn't go in there to lay because of it. Were there any drastic changes? Moving things around, adding to the flock, or maybe even predators in the area that they know about can stress them enough to not lay eggs as well. I am just giving my opinion here but I hope something I put here helps. Good luck.

 

[Break an Egg]

Quote:
It is only the one, I've had her since June 09 and she only layed for 2 months. Her eggs are green (she's an EE) and I never get them anymore. I did look at her pretty closely today, she does seem to be molting, she has feathers growing back. Maybe this will reset her clock.

The other one that had the symptoms is no longer with us. All the other pullets are ones I got this spring. They are all laying except for 1 OEGB. She has yet to start.

 

[Break an Egg]

can you hear me now? :

I will agree about treatment for mites. As for the egglaying, you will have to factor in many hints to determine whether it is the while egg drop syndrome or not. I would first eliminate any reason that they may not be laying first. Chickens are strange when they become stressed. Are they getting enough light? I actually had to put Windows in my chicken house. They couldn't see the light and wouldn't go in there to lay because of it. Were there any drastic changes? Moving things around, adding to the flock, or maybe even predators in the area that they know about can stress them enough to not lay eggs as well. I am just giving my opinion here but I hope something I put here helps. Good luck.

She free ranges most of the day and has plenty of fresh water, food, and land to pick at. I do remember that she stopped laying after a hawk was trying to get her last year. She was in her pen and could see the hawk who was hanging around trying to get her. She was safe, there was no way a hawk was getting in, but she did stop laying after that.

I have never treated her for mites, I check her often, but I guess I might as well.​

 

[fishermans wife]

I had a coyote go after my EE once - she stopped laying for at leat 2 months - and yes, molting can take next to forever!!! Treating for mites can be as simple as putting poultry dust in their bedding - I do that even if I do not see them, but they seem to be picking or scratching more than usual. Good luck! The worst is when you have to go buy eggs....that makes me growl!!!