Two hens hiding eggs or not laying?

[dquarles74]

I have one extremely nervous, shy white RIR (Snow) and one Aracauna (Katniss) that is the newest hen that has befriended Snow. My other 5 hens lay about every other day, a few every day, even in this awful Texas heat. But those two hens -Snow hasn't laid an egg in 3 weeks, and Katniss I've had for 3 weeks and have never gotten an egg from her. They are both 9-11 months old. Snow I used to get an egg about every 3 days from her, but she would lay in the dirt behind the coop. But ever since Katniss arrived and they've become friends she doesn't lay in the dirt nest anymore either. I locked them in the coop for 4 days and no eggs. I hate to keep all my hens and chicks locked up for longer than that just because two of them won't lay. They usually free range all day and the other girls come in to the coop to lay when they need to then leave the coop again. So I would have to keep ALL the girls cooped up.

Any advice?

 

[dquarles74]

And just to add - I have walked all around the property - under trees, in my flower beds and can't find a nest! Do you think they are eating their eggs or just too scared of the other hens that they just aren't laying?

 

[Den in Penn]

It could be the heat. If they are eating their eggs they won't stop there they will eat the others as well. So if you are still getting eggs from the others that lowers the chance its egg eating. How about molting?

 

[dquarles74]

They are molting not real bad like pix I've seen on BYC, but def losing feathers. I separated the araucauna from the others for the past week. No sign of egg or shells. I separated my white RIR yesterday. I will give her a few days to settle down and see if she lays. I've been putting chili powder in their pellets and am back up to 4 eggs per day from the other 5 girls. And I can tell they they are all laying at least every other day. So hopefully these two girls will lay soon.