Suddenly Stopped Laying?

[CooperChicken]

Hi there,
I have an Isa Brown girlie who is about a year and a half old. She used to produce the biggest eggs in my flock and did so 6 days a week (despite being the second smallest there!)
However a little while ago she missed a couple of days. I wasnt worried as most of my flock slowed down in the Australian heat.
She then produced only 1 egg that week. She was pooping normally aswell as eating and behaving normally. I haven't had an egg from her for almost 2 weeks now. If she was egg-bound she would have suffered the consequences of that by now and I also checked for a stuck egg..thoroughly.
I had someone say that maybe it's because her food has been cut down (As I do each summer to prevent them whacking on the weight). She did eat alot and the last few days I've been giving her the usual amount of food but nothing yet.
I have noticed that she goes into the nest, like she needs to lay. She stays for 5-20 minutes (Sat down) and then walks out acting like usual. She's still eating, drinking and pooping normally.
Something else that I'm not sure is worth noting, she's one of those chickies that lift out her wings slightly when she's hot. During this period of not laying she has been doing that quite often, even when it's not hot at all outside.

Any ideas??? This one has me stuck, especially her going in the coop like she needs to lay. I'd be happy to accept it just not being a laying time for her except for that.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[Pjacct]

Have you noticed if she has started to moult?
Isa Browns are also known to slow down their laying around 2-3 years of age as they have been bred specifically for their egg laying. I say this only that she may come back to laying but I doubt with the same frequency as before and 1 egg every couple of days might be it

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Agree, she could be getting ready to molt, or if you've been getting very hot temps, she could be slowing from the heat.

 

[rebrascora]

The going into the nest box as if to lay is concerning. Can you give her a thorough examination, particularly looking for any abdominal swelling between her legs or around her vent. Feeling is better than looking as those feathers can hide a lot..... compare to other chickens (roosting time is the easiest time to check this as you can feel one and then another straight after without having to chase them down) Red sex links are quite prone to reproductive disorders at this age, like internal laying or salpingitis. How do her poops look? .... I appreciate that they may be runny because your climate is hot and she will be drinking lots to cool down, but compare to your other chickens to see if there is a notable difference.

 

[CooperChicken]

The going into the nest box as if to lay is concerning. Can you give her a thorough examination, particularly looking for any abdominal swelling between her legs or around her vent. Feeling is better than looking as those feathers can hide a lot..... compare to other chickens (roosting time is the easiest time to check this as you can feel one and then another straight after without having to chase them down) Red sex links are quite prone to reproductive disorders at this age, like internal laying or salpingitis. How do her poops look? .... I appreciate that they may be runny because your climate is hot and she will be drinking lots to cool down, but compare to your other chickens to see if there is a notable difference.

Hmmm she has gotten a little grumpy, like most of my chickens do when molting. However no brown feathers in the coop but that would be something to keep an eye on. So I did a comparison with another chicken, and the area below her bent does feel like it might be swollen.
Her vent looks normal and he poop was nothing out of the ordinary. It was a little soft but no unusul colours or foaming.
Does this tell you anything?
I've had a chickie with a stuck egg before and had to get quite personal with her if you catch my drift. Am I going to need to do the same sort of thing here to check?

 

[rebrascora]

If there is swelling around her vent, I would be concerned that she may have salpingitis which is an infection of the oviduct where it becomes impacted with egg and pus material, which eventually builds up to the point that it constricts the gut and slows the elimination of waste and you get toxic build up but also slows the upper digestive tract down and can exhibit as sour crop. Sometimes you will find a lash egg lying around or in the nest box which tips you off that there is a problem but not always. You may feel a mass or masses if you do an internal exam. They are usually higher up the tract than a stuck egg when they are egg bound, which is why it is not fatal within a few days like egg binding.
What does her comb look like? Is it red and plump and look like she should be laying. Unfortunately if it is salpingitis, her days are probably numbered. Hopefully I am wrong but if it is salpingitis, it needs to be treated with antibiotics at a very early stage to have any chance of being effective. You may already be past that stage if I am correct though. I appreciate that she is not showing any significant signs of being ill at the moment and good poultry vets are few and far between and expensive, but you might want to do some research on my suggested diagnosis in order to make an informed decision. These things can go on for weeks or months before they come to a head, so it might just be a case of keeping an eye on her and checking for swelling (both abdominal and crop) or monitoring weight on a weekly basis and making her as comfortable as possible, if she starts to get bigger and having a plan to euthanize if/when necessary.

 

[CooperChicken]

If there is swelling around her vent, I would be concerned that she may have salpingitis which is an infection of the oviduct where it becomes impacted with egg and pus material, which eventually builds up to the point that it constricts the gut and slows the elimination of waste and you get toxic build up but also slows the upper digestive tract down and can exhibit as sour crop. Sometimes you will find a lash egg lying around or in the nest box which tips you off that there is a problem but not always. You may feel a mass or masses if you do an internal exam. They are usually higher up the tract than a stuck egg when they are egg bound, which is why it is not fatal within a few days like egg binding.
What does her comb look like? Is it red and plump and look like she should be laying. Unfortunately if it is salpingitis, her days are probably numbered. Hopefully I am wrong but if it is salpingitis, it needs to be treated with antibiotics at a very early stage to have any chance of being effective. You may already be past that stage if I am correct though. I appreciate that she is not showing any significant signs of being ill at the moment and good poultry vets are few and far between and expensive, but you might want to do some research on my suggested diagnosis in order to make an informed decision. These things can go on for weeks or months before they come to a head, so it might just be a case of keeping an eye on her and checking for swelling (both abdominal and crop) or monitoring weight on a weekly basis and making her as comfortable as possible, if she starts to get bigger and having a plan to euthanize if/when necessary.

Oh no
I live very far away from a vet or anything, I also keep small birds and have some triple c that I keep for them. It's all i have, Is it worth a try?
Anything I could do to help with the swelling? A bath maybe?
Poor little thing, she was an ex battery hen. Didn't think she'd get sick, she's been doing so well.

 

[CooperChicken]

I'll also do the "personal" check I mentioned before and will let you know of the results.

 

[janz70]

all of my hens and ducks stopped laying end of october, I expect a major reduction in winter but this seems extreme. All seem healthy and have good appetites so at a bit of a loss as to why

 

[rebrascora]

I'm afraid that whilst I know a little about chicken illnesses from experience and doing necropsies, antibiotics and which one to use for what, is not my field.

Unfortunately "retired" battery hens are particularly prone to such ailments as I suspect this may be. Some people have had success treating them with hormone implants but it is expensive and prevents them from ovulating (no more eggs). This stops the problem from getting any worse, but short of risky and even more expensive surgery, there is no way to remove the existing mass inside them.

I could be entirely wrong about the whole thing, so perhaps seek other opinions or do some research yourself before you commit to anything.