The 20 Egg Only Chicken

[SavKel&RynKel]

Hello All, I am coming to you all with my hands up in the air. I have a leghorn who gave me 20 eggs and then stopped. Magically. I live in the Bay Area of California. This started about 6 months ago. I have exhausted every tip I could find on why this would be and how to remedy it but to no avail. So let me start with what I've tried or done first and then maybe someone out there will have an explanation or more tips or honestly I have no clue. Maybe voodoo?
So to get started:
1. She's been dewormed. She showed no signs of worms though. She does collect poop on her lower vent feathers that she gets bathed off but I attribute that to her fluffy bum.
2. She's been given ivermectin and the coop sprinkled with permethrin. We did have some northern fowl mites in the fall when we had a few broodies but that was after she stopped laying. She did not show signs of mites, just the broodies.
3. They eat all flock mixed with layer, and have supplemental grit/oyster shell. So I highly doubt it's a protein issue especially since everyone else haven't stopped laying unless they've been molting.
4. She's not molting. I know this for obvious reasons.
5. Her appearance- comb is bright red and beautiful. She doesn't act funny or egg bound or walk funny. Her feathers are beautiful and has that proud tail sticking up high.
6. Her crop empties overnight. She doesn't gorge herself like the others but she eats and drinks regularly.
7. I've given nutri drench in the water in case it was a vitamin issue.
8. She's in the coop everyday religiously, fake laying an egg. Even sings the egg song.
9. She hangs out with the flock and doesn't get picked on.
10. August was our hottest month but she stopped laying before then and now that we're in winter it's been in the 60s during the day.
11. Their automatic door opens at 630am and closes 15mins after dusk. Right before winter solstice it was closing at 5pm. It now closes at 6pm. But mind you she stopped laying around July.

I'm just lost. I mean I know chickens are hatched with all their eggs they'll ever lay but has anyone had a chicken that laid like 20 and then nothing ever again? Like maybe she only hatched with 20 eggs in her. I've tried to Google that situation but I don't know what the term would be so nothing actually shows up. And eating her isn't an option because she's got that classic leghorn trim figure so the little bit of meat wouldn't be worth it. Plus she's pretty to look at.

 

[mixedbreeds]

I have a barnevelder that layed maybe 10 eggs and that was it she is almost two years old now. She is so pretty I haven’t been able to bring myself to do her in. I don’t know what the deal is either she is healthy as a horse but no eggs.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

I have a barnevelder that layed maybe 10 eggs and that was it she is almost two years old now. She is so pretty I haven’t been able to bring myself to do her in. I don’t know what the deal is either she is healthy as a horse but no eggs.

Well atleast I know I am not the only one! Did you hatch her or buy her from somewhere?

 

[mixedbreeds]

I bought her as a day old chick there were 3 others but they ended up being roosters so much for raising them.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

View attachment 1656461 I bought her as a day old chick there were 3 others but they ended up being roosters so much for raising them.

Oh wow! She's beautiful!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Have you looked everywhere for a hidden nest? Sometimes they can be hard to see. Could be she's just taking a break. Usually leghorns lay well but I'm sure there are duds.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Have you looked everywhere for a hidden nest? Sometimes they can be hard to see. Could be she's just taking a break. Usually leghorns lay well but I'm sure there are duds.

Yes, unfortunately. We have a smallish fenced in yard. So I guess unless she then covers them up with mud I am going to say no. Plus, she goes into the lay box for maybe an hour everyday. Its really the strangest thing. I am going to keep waiting but I wont get my hopes up.

 

[rebrascora]

If she has a nice plump red comb and she looks healthy and she is spending time in the nest box daily then that suggests she is ovulating. The soiled butt feathers suggest she has abdominal swelling... it has nothing to do with having fluffy butt feathers.... there is likely some swelling below the vent causing the poop to catch instead of drop clear. When birds poop their vent muscles cause the feathers above and below the the vent to part and the lower ones to move into a more vertical position allowing the poop to drop clear. If there is swelling below the vent the feathers are not able to tip away far enough and the poop snaggs
The combination of her ovulating but no eggs being laid and that poopy butt indicates that she may be laying internally. This is where yolks are released from the ovary when they are ripe but fail to travel into the oviduct to become eggs and instead drop into the abdominal cavity. The bird can appear perfectly normal for months, sometimes more than a year before things come to a head and a health issue becomes obvious. Usually their abdomen will become very bloated and they may start to walk with a wider stance as the mass of yolks in their belly starts to push their legs apart. Unfortunately there is not a lot you can do to resolve the situation. Hormonal implants every 3-6 months will stop her ovulating and prevent things getting worse but it is expensive and will do nothing to deal with the eggs already in her abdominal cavity. If she is a pet, some people go this route and it buys the hen another year or two if they are lucky. Eventually the mass of yolks presses against other organs, often the gut constricting it and making it difficult to poop, or pressing on the abdominal air sacs causing respiratory distress or infection sets in which is known as Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP)
It would be a good idea to check her abdomen by cupping your hand between her legs and feeling for any fullness or swelling and comparing her to other hens. It is possible the swelling is higher up more directly below her vent. Swelling in that area may indicate Salpingitis which is an infection of the oviduct causing infected egg material (lash egg) to build up in the lower part of the oviduct. The infection is contained within the oviduct and the bird does not show obvious signs of being sick, but gradually as the bird continues to ovulate, the material builds up and puts pressure on other organs. Antibiotics can help in the very early stages but once the "lash egg" material becomes too large to pass and the oviduct is impacted, the only option is extremely expensive and very risky surgery or euthanasia once quality of life deteriorates.

Sorry to paint such a bleak picture but the symptoms you describe point to one of those reproductive disorders which are sadly rather too common in hens due to selective breeding for intensive production. You would expect there to be some swelling or bloat in the abdominal area if either of these ailments have been on going for a while as would be suggested by the lack of eggs since July, although it is likely that there has been a period where she has not been ovulating during that time if she has been through a moult and the body is able to recover a little during that down time, so any swelling may not be overly pronounced at this stage.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

If she has a nice plump red comb and she looks healthy and she is spending time in the nest box daily then that suggests she is ovulating. The soiled butt feathers suggest she has abdominal swelling... it has nothing to do with having fluffy butt feathers.... there is likely some swelling below the vent causing the poop to catch instead of drop clear. When birds poop their vent muscles cause the feathers above and below the the vent to part and the lower ones to move into a more vertical position allowing the poop to drop clear. If there is swelling below the vent the feathers are not able to tip away far enough and the poop snaggs
The combination of her ovulating but no eggs being laid and that poopy butt indicates that she may be laying internally. This is where yolks are released from the ovary when they are ripe but fail to travel into the oviduct to become eggs and instead drop into the abdominal cavity. The bird can appear perfectly normal for months, sometimes more than a year before things come to a head and a health issue becomes obvious. Usually their abdomen will become very bloated and they may start to walk with a wider stance as the mass of yolks in their belly starts to push their legs apart. Unfortunately there is not a lot you can do to resolve the situation. Hormonal implants every 3-6 months will stop her ovulating and prevent things getting worse but it is expensive and will do nothing to deal with the eggs already in her abdominal cavity. If she is a pet, some people go this route and it buys the hen another year or two if they are lucky. Eventually the mass of yolks presses against other organs, often the gut constricting it and making it difficult to poop, or pressing on the abdominal air sacs causing respiratory distress or infection sets in which is known as Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP)
It would be a good idea to check her abdomen by cupping your hand between her legs and feeling for any fullness or swelling and comparing her to other hens. It is possible the swelling is higher up more directly below her vent. Swelling in that area may indicate Salpingitis which is an infection of the oviduct causing infected egg material (lash egg) to build up in the lower part of the oviduct. The infection is contained within the oviduct and the bird does not show obvious signs of being sick, but gradually as the bird continues to ovulate, the material builds up and puts pressure on other organs. Antibiotics can help in the very early stages but once the "lash egg" material becomes too large to pass and the oviduct is impacted, the only option is extremely expensive and very risky surgery or euthanasia once quality of life deteriorates.

Sorry to paint such a bleak picture but the symptoms you describe point to one of those reproductive disorders which are sadly rather too common in hens due to selective breeding for intensive production. You would expect there to be some swelling or bloat in the abdominal area if either of these ailments have been on going for a while as would be suggested by the lack of eggs since July, although it is likely that there has been a period where she has not been ovulating during that time if she has been through a moult and the body is able to recover a little during that down time, so any swelling may not be overly pronounced at this stage.

Bleak picture yes but that's definitely a possible cause seeings how nothing else is. I definitely appreciate the info. I honestly would of never thought about any type of internal issues like that being the problem. I guess whenever I see that type of stuff brought up it's like the end point when the chicken is acting strange and lethargic, etc. I'll check for any swelling tomorrow. The hormonal implant is not an option. I really hope that's not it but like I said I'm out of causes so at this point any kind of information is helpful.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Alright, now for the update so far... we did a newbie thorough once over. She has no bugs. She has no missing chunks of feathers. She has no respiratory symptoms. Her eyes are bright and clear. Her comb is bright red and no marks. Her legs are pale yellow, unlike when she was a chick. She is walking normal. She doesn't have bumble foot. She's definitely not broody. Her vent is moist inside. Nothing leaking or stuck. Upon palpating her, she doesn't have any obvious swelling anywhere: vent, general butt area, lower belly, upper belly, thighs, keel area. I can feel her keel bone but it's not extremely distinguished. I felt the rest of the girls to make sure they all felt the same and i didnt feel any differences. So i guess only time will tell or maybe it wont. I'll update this thread if anything else happens especially if she takes a turn for the worse at any point. For now she'll just be a freeloader and I'm okay with that. Thanks everyone.