She Was Laying - Where's Her Eggs?

[Reyvaughn]

I have a Tetra Tint that started laying about 5 weeks ago. Well, I actually had two. For some reason these Tetra Tints haven't been very healthy and I lost my first one early on - around 8wks. I lost the second one right after they began laying. I noticed she was pale in the comb and wasn't as active. I knew she wasn't going to make it, and she died overnight. Now the one that's left... We named her Sailfish because, well, a Tetra is a fish and she has a Leghorn tail that looks like a sail. Sailfish was laying everyday up until a couple of days after the other Tetra Tint died. It's been about 2 1/2 weeks since I've gotten an egg from her. I've checked numerous to see if she was egg bound and there is just nothing there. I found out one of my Red Sexlinks had a hidden stash of eggs, so we decided to go search for any others - mainly to see if Sailfish was hiding her eggs. She is my only white egg layer, so I know she isn't laying - just for clarification. I sat the other day and watched the girls lay their eggs. Sure enough, there's Sailfish in the nest box around 10am. She goes through the actions like she's laying for a good 1/2 an hour and then leaves the nest boxes. Guess what? No egg. She has no hidden stash. I don't know what's going on.

Can a pullet start laying and then all of a sudden stop? What is going on with her?

ETA: I followed her after laying in the nest box and watched her for a good hour after she went through the actions of laying. She did nothing by forage.

 

[HEChicken]

Could she be eating the eggs?

 

[TnChickHen]

She could be going through a period of depression. I have a RIR that hasn't lain in over a month now, lost her sister around that time to a pretty bad crop stasis and among other things. How hot is it there in PA?? I know here in TN it's quite HOT and our little Cochin JUST started laying last week again after about a 3 week dry spell. We have a BO that is 23 weeks that hasn't even thought about laying yet. I would look into depression for her. give her a little bit longer, I wouldn't go much more than a week longer, and if nothing changes, contact a vet. Good luck!

 

[Reyvaughn]

I did think that maybe she was eating the eggs, but the other 5 are there daily. You'd think if she was eating hers, she'd go through and eat the others - she does have the chance to. I just put 5 wood dummy eggs in the nest box, just in case someone is eating eggs.

I had also thought about depression. Yeah, it's been hot and we did lose some production during this heat, but everyone else has been back on track for a week+.

I think I found a soft shelled egg on the shed floor tonight - white. So, I am hoping it was and she's going to get back to it soon!