Will 1st-year layers resume laying soon after treatment?

[Sunshine_Amy]

I have a few first-year layers that stopped laying, all except one. I saw evidence of the flock having significant roundworm load, so I’m thinking that’s the reason and I’ve treated them all twice with Ivermectin starting two weeks ago. Will the first year layers start laying again soon or will they now wait until increasing sunlight like the older hens? Also, are there other things I should check for? I haven't seen signs of mites, respiratory issues, or anything else obvious.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Hard to say, worms can certainly stop them from laying but seeing as it is naturally the time they typically stop for the season they may just be done till spring.

While I have never had worm issues before I will say that some of this spring’s pullets went through a soft fall molt and stopped laying before I thought they would. It was only a handful out of the group so I don’t think it was caused by anything in particular. I’ve never had pullets molt in the fall like my older birds but after some reading I guess some do and some don’t. Stress, disease, poor nutrition, and being broody can also cause early molting and therefore a halt in laying. Have any of your pullets molted? If so then all the more reason for them to wait till spring before starting up again.

 

[Sunshine_Amy]

Hard to say, worms can certainly stop them from laying but seeing as it is naturally the time they typically stop for the season they may just be done till spring.

While I have never had worm issues before I will say that some of this spring’s pullets went through a soft fall molt and stopped laying before I thought they would. It was only a handful out of the group so I don’t think it was caused by anything in particular. I’ve never had pullets molt in the fall like my older birds but after some reading I guess some do and some don’t. Stress, disease, poor nutrition, and being broody can also cause early molting and therefore a halt in laying. Have any of your pullets molted? If so then all the more reason for them to wait till spring before starting up again.

That's a good question! I didn't realize molting could happen the same year. I haven't seen any of the new girls looking scruffy, but I'll double check; that would certainly explain things!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, short days are more likely to be the cause of reduced production.

 

[FunClucks]

I had a pullet molt early in her first year, but now she's done it two years in a row, and is laying thru winter. Guess we had enough daylight down here in Alabama for her to start back up again. Until this week, it's been t-shirt / spring weather, with only one hard freeze about two months ago, and I keep them under a transparent tarp under (now leafless) trees, so that also helped I'm sure. We'll see if she stops or keeps going. I also have another adult hen that has done the same thing this year, early molt and resumed laying.

I'll enjoy my 2 eggs every few days from my ~20 bird flock. I should have culled my older hens and gotten youngsters sooner for a reliable winter egg supply, but I didn't have it in my heart to do it. They were my first flock, and were pets with names. We lost 6 of them anyway at the end of summer during a hot streak due to causes incident to age, and still miss them. And then we had to go on vacation, and didn't want to leave the chicken sitter with chicks in the brooder. So here we are finishing up raising chicks in December. It's a good thing winter held off until December this year. Fun times. You never know what chickens will do...