She never laid a single egg?

[unepoulebrune]

Hello!

Before this winter, we bought two hens. A white one and a brown one. The previous owner said that they were both 8 months old at the time we got them. He also said that all of his chickens (he had a dozen) were laying.

As soon as we took them home, the white one started laying about a week later and has been laying everyday since. The brown one never laid a single egg.

Her comb is big, a bit faded but not much and she has big feet. She walks like she has something stuck in her butt. I checked her "hole" (sorry I don't know the exact term haha) and nothing seems to be stuck. She' a bit heavy and does not fly. White hen is light and does fly a bit.

There's no worms in their feces. The brown one sometimes sounds like she'S "crying". She even digs a nest and tries to lay but nothing comes out. When the white one laid her egg, she hatches it.

What could we do? Here's a picture taken a few weeks ago .
Thanks!

 

[micstrachan]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

What do you mean the white one lays an egg, she hatches it? Is the brown/red hen sitting on the white hen's eggs? Can you examine your brown hen? She may have a reproductive problem. How old is she now? Feel her abdomen (the fluffy area between her legs and below her hole, which is called a vent. ) Is is swollen and squishy like it is bloated with fluid? Do your hens have access to a calcium source like crushed oyster shell? What do you feed them? Also, can you feel her breast muscle? Is the keel (breast) bone protruding sharply? If so, she may be losing muscle mass, which could also indicate a health issue.

Also, on a side note, can I ask about them walking in the snow? I don't have snow where I live, so please forgive my ignorance. Do they like it? Do you put down some straw or anything like that in case they want to get their feet off the snow? I read several posts this past winter about chickens getting frost bite on their feet.

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

Is there any hardness to her abdomen? Is she eating and drinking? Does she sit a lot?

 

[unepoulebrune]

Hello micstrachan, thanks for your reply!

Exactly! She sits on the white hen's egg everyday! We will examine her tomorrow. I think if the previous owner was right, she would be a little bit older than a year old.
i will check out her abdomen tomorrow. We give them crushed egg shells very often. We feed them with feed for laying hens.

Hehe, they enjoy walking in the snow! During colder weather we did not let them roam free but every time it was hotter during this winter we let them roam free. They enjoyed it! No issues with frostbite on their legs tho!

I will keep you updated once we check her out tomorrow! thanks!

 

[CannedMonster]

Hello micstrachan, thanks for your reply!

Exactly! She sits on the white hen's egg everyday! We will examine her tomorrow. I think if the previous owner was right, she would be a little bit older than a year old.
i will check out her abdomen tomorrow. We give them crushed egg shells very often. We feed them with feed for laying hens.

Hehe, they enjoy walking in the snow! During colder weather we did not let them roam free but every time it was hotter during this winter we let them roam free. They enjoyed it! No issues with frostbite on their legs tho!

I will keep you updated once we check her out tomorrow! thanks!

I think she’s just trying to lay in the same nest as the white one.
The egg just happens to be there.
A lot of hens will use the same nesting box.
Walking on snow is fine as long as they have somewhere to get out of it when they want.

 

[ker0412]

Hello!

Before this winter, we bought two hens. A white one and a brown one. The previous owner said that they were both 8 months old at the time we got them. He also said that all of his chickens (he had a dozen) were laying.

As soon as we took them home, the white one started laying about a week later and has been laying everyday since. The brown one never laid a single egg.

Her comb is big, a bit faded but not much and she has big feet. She walks like she has something stuck in her butt. I checked her "hole" (sorry I don't know the exact term haha) and nothing seems to be stuck. She' a bit heavy and does not fly. White hen is light and does fly a bit.

There's no worms in their feces. The brown one sometimes sounds like she'S "crying". She even digs a nest and tries to lay but nothing comes out. When the white one laid her egg, she hatches it.

What could we do? Here's a picture taken a few weeks ago .
Thanks!

You may need to start a special diet. It may be too heavy, dehydrated, or a combination of those things.

 

[unepoulebrune]

We took the time to examine her. First thing we noticed is her belly- its quite big and seems to be stuffed.

 

[keesmom]

She is a red sex link, and they tend to suffer from reproductive issues. With that distended abdomen I suspect she's likely an internal layer, or she has egg yolk peritonitis. Unfortunately the prognosis is not good.

 

[EggWalrus]

The red sex link could be broody or just taking a laying break in winter. First year Leghorns lay like crazy even in the winter, but very seldom will go broody. The red sex link had some Rhodie in her and Rhodies will go broody. It even looks like she's plucked her breast feathers the way a broody will. If she wants to stay in the nest on the Leghorn eggs, let her. Save up about 6 white eggs over a week (make sure to turn them everyday), then put them under that broody red. 21 days later you'll have some biddies. Make sure to remove the eggs each day before setting them so that they all start incubation on the same day and all hatch about the same day. At least with 2 days of the first to hatch or that red Momma may quit sitting on the remainder of the unhatched eggs. Good luck with your little ladies. PS You need MORE chickens!

Post Postscript - That is, you may have some babies if the Leghorn has been playing doctor with a rooster in the last month. a hen can stay fertilized over a month and a half, but after 3 weeks without a rooster, your chances of fertile eggs goes down, way down.

 

[aart]

We took the time to examine her. First thing we noticed is her belly- its quite big and seems to be stuffed.

Is it hard or squishy?
I'm guessing squishy...full of fluid....search on ascites, usually due to organ failure from several possible causes.

She is a red sex link, and they tend to suffer from reproductive issues. With that distended abdomen I suspect she's likely an internal layer, or she has egg yolk peritonitis. Unfortunately the prognosis is not good.

Ditto Dat^^^