Young, healthy hen sits in nest box but doesn't lay

[DragonflyAcres]

My 18 month old hen, Yakko, has been going into the nest box and sitting, but then just coming out without having laid an egg, for the past 3 days. She is healthy and acting normally otherwise. She was laying normal eggs regularly, up until this started 3 days ago. Any ideas what's up? Pic of her on left and Wakko on right.... But Wakko is still laying!

 

[4xhennifer]

First of all.. wakko and yakko.. I am deceased LOL. Second, here are some things to do to rule out any issues:

1. Check the nesting box for mites or any other unsavory things that may be turning her off of laying

2. If they free range, look for her eggs somewhere else on the property

3. Check her vent and look for anything peculiar that may indicate a physical problem (mites, prolapse, fly strike, vent gleet, etc.)

4. Check her abdomen for anything peculiar. Is it hard and swollen or relatively normal? If it is hard and swollen, she could be egg bound and a nice epsom salt soak could help relax her to pass her egg.

5. She may be starting to molt and this means her cycle is going to be off. She may be using her energy to replace feathers which can delay her cycle even though, through routine, she feels like she needs to be in the box around the same time of day.

6. She may be broody (least likely as she is going in and coming right out, but watch for other behaviors like prolonged sitting).

7. Give her a complete once-over from comb to claws. Look for anything that could be inhibiting her cycle.

If she is eating and acting otherwise normal and everything else above checks out, then I would continue to monitor her to see if there are any changes to the above. If she worsens, then please try to contact an Avian vet in your area.

 

[DragonflyAcres]

First of all.. wakko and yakko.. I am deceased LOL. Second, here are some things to do to rule out any issues:

1. Check the nesting box for mites or any other unsavory things that may be turning her off of laying

2. If they free range, look for her eggs somewhere else on the property

3. Check her vent and look for anything peculiar that may indicate a physical problem (mites, prolapse, fly strike, vent gleet, etc.)

4. Check her abdomen for anything peculiar. Is it hard and swollen or relatively normal? If it is hard and swollen, she could be egg bound and a nice epsom salt soak could help relax her to pass her egg.

5. She may be starting to molt and this means her cycle is going to be off. She may be using her energy to replace feathers which can delay her cycle even though, through routine, she feels like she needs to be in the box around the same time of day.

6. She may be broody (least likely as she is going in and coming right out, but watch for other behaviors like prolonged sitting).

7. Give her a complete once-over from comb to claws. Look for anything that could be inhibiting her cycle.

If she is eating and acting otherwise normal and everything else above checks out, then I would continue to monitor her to see if there are any changes to the above. If she worsens, then please try to contact an Avian vet in your area.

All of these are extremely unlikely for a variety of reasons that I won't expound on, except... molting! That is most likely it. I recall she did this when molting last year. She was a winter hatch and was just barely old enough to molt her first year. Wakko hatched the same day that she did, and they both molted. Dot was just one week younger, and did not molt! That one week was the divide between molt, and no molt.

ETA: I will still check and monitor for other problems.

 

[ChicNmom]

All of these are extremely unlikely for a variety of reasons that I won't expound on, except... molting! That is most likely it. I recall she did this when molting last year. She was a winter hatch and was just barely old enough to molt her first year. Wakko hatched the same day that she did, and they both molted. Dot was just one week younger, and did not molt! That one week was the divide between molt, and no molt.

ETA: I will still check and monitor for other problems.

Hopefully she is just off due to a molt coming on. Especially since she did something similar last year.

I never rule out a reproductive issue though. Many times the first clue is a hen hanging out in the egg box and not laying an egg. Reproductive problems can occur in hens of all ages.