Why did they stop laying?

[tinyfarmer]

Hi There,

I have 2 Khaki Campbell females. I got them "used" from Craigslist about a year ago. I was told they were both a year old and good layers. They laid for about a year after I bought them and stopped about 3 months ago. I can not figure out why, unless I was not told the truth about their age.
Once in a while a very tiny egg will be laid but that is all I've seen. They are not "hiding" the eggs somewhere I can't see and the eggs are not being eaten by another critter. They are very well cared for with a high quality laying feed and nothing about their care has ever changed.
Ideas?
Thanks!

 

[Amiga]

I have found my runners need a rest of about two or three months after laying for a while.

What are they being fed? Can you tell us more about their day to day lives?


and

 

[tinyfarmer]

thanks for the welcome!
they are fed a pellet lay feed, same as my chickens.
they spend their days lounging and waddling around with plenty of space in a big enclosed coop and run with 4 chicken hens. They have a little pool to play in and get plenty of lettuce to snack on.
They have been treated very well and, as I say, nothing has really changed about their care. After about a year, they just stopped laying. I thought the chickens might have been eating the eggs but after much investigation could tell that they just weren't laying at all (you can tell when a duck is going to lay by looking at their body...there is a "pooch" in the belly!)

Hopefully they will start again in the new year when the days get longer again. Maybe this was just a long weird break! More thoughts from anyone???

 

[Mum]

Welcome to the forums, tiny farmer

Khakis are prolific layers, but, they do go off lay from time to time; are they moulting?
Are they getting enough calcium ( my chickens and ducks are given either extra oyster shell, or, baked crushed eggshells in addition to their feed).

 

[Lamar Estate]

I have a 1 1/2 yr. old Khaki Campbell x Cayuga and her 1 yr. old daughter (from a Cayuga). They both started laying at around 6 months old. Some days, they would lay 2 eggs. There were even a few days of three eggs.

Since around January, they haven't laid an egg at all. I have no idea why. They are healthy. They get the same food. They have the same routine.

I'd also love to hear from others about guesses why this happens.