Whole flock of new-laying pullets just . . . stopped laying

[julskinka]

The situation: All but one chicken has completely stopped laying eggs over the course of the past two weeks.

The details:

• 8 pullets are 9 months old. All but one (an olive egger) has begun laying. Their eggs are all easily distinguishable, and we keep a log, so we know exactly who's laying and when. The first one started laying in October, and one or two new layers has come online every month since then.
• Breeds: 55 flowery, Welsummer, Polish, Salmon Faverolle, Cream Legbar, marans-legbar cross, polish-orpington cross.
• It's late February in New Jersey, so the weather is mild and the days are getting longer
• In addition to their 40 sq ft coop (which is only for sleeping and laying in, they do NOT get left in there during the day), they have access to at least a 100 sq ft covered run (very wet days) as well as a 400 sq ft netted run when it's dry enough; some days (~3 times a week) I let them free range.
• Feed is layer pellets, scratch & peck, greens, oyster shell, grit, and occasional free range access, and of course fresh water every day.
• No evidence of mites or lice, or any other illnesses
• No evidence of egg eating or hidden clutches (one does like to lay in bushes when I let them out, so I do a thorough scouring afterwards)
• No evidence of any predators or pests
• No signs of molt

We were getting 2 to 6 eggs a day, and now nothing except the occasional Welsummer egg. Even my most reliable layer, the 55, has stopped. I've only seen two Faverolle eggs in the past month, and she was doing great up until then.

The question: Is this a thing flocks of new layers will do? Could it just be a weird coincidence? I think I'm going to do a fecal float test to rule out worms, but is there something else I could be missing?

 

[chickens really]

Normal. Definitely I'm not thinking a worm problem..

 

[aart]

Hard to say.
They can hide them pretty well....
...that would be my first guess, especially if it happened all of a sudden.
Do they look like they are laying...red combs, wide pelvic spacing?
I'd keep them confined 24/7 to the coop and smaller run for week or so.

 

[julskinka]

Hard to say.
They can hide them pretty well....
...that would be my first guess, especially if it happened all of a sudden.
Do they look like they are laying...red combs, wide pelvic spacing?
I'd keep them confined 24/7 to the coop and smaller run for week or so.

They do look like layers - combs are all still red, butt checks are affirmative (except for on the one who's holding out). It's been a gradual onset of lack of eggs, over the past two weeks.

When I went out today, I did notice a number of them were shaking their heads periodically, and I think I even heard a sneeze. So now I'm worried about a respiratory illness. Ugh.

 

[julskinka]

They do look like layers - combs are all still red, butt checks are affirmative (except for on the one who's holding out). It's been a gradual onset of lack of eggs, over the past two weeks.

When I went out today, I did notice a number of them were shaking their heads periodically, and I think I even heard a sneeze. So now I'm worried about a respiratory illness. Ugh.

If anyone cares, several of them have started up laying again and I haven't seen any further signs of illness or anything. I guess it was just a weird blip!

 

[aart]

I guess it was just a weird blip!

They do that just to mess with your head

 

[julskinka]

They do that just to mess with your head

It was like they conspired to do it.