Young hen stopped laying

[cooper45]

I have an Easter egger hen that started laying in mid July at around 15 weeks old. She laid an egg almost every day for several weeks. Once my other hens started laying eggs a few weeks later, her egg production became more sporadic--maybe 3 or 4 per week. Now she hasn't laid an egg since Labor Day. Is this a common problem? She is acting completely fine, no loss of appetite, plenty of energy. She just doesn't lay eggs anymore!

 

[azygous]

Is it fall where you are? If your young layer is behaving normally in every other respect, it's likely her endocrine system has responded to the shortening daylight. Twelve to fourteen hours of continuous light are needed to stimulate the hormones requires for laying eggs.

If you want to see if this could be the reason for the lack of eggs, try putting a light on a timer to come on a couple hours before sunrise. She should be laying again in a couple weeks, a month at the most unless she has some other issue going on.

 

[aart]

Could be shortening days.
Could be just a sporadic layer,
have had several EE's that go on and off for no observable reason.

Do you free range?
She might be laying out in range area.

 

[cooper45]

I don't think it's weather related. We still have at least 13 hrs of daylight here. And there's nowhere she could be hiding them. I've searched every square inch of the run and where they free range. She also was very obvious with singing her egg song both before and after laying. Now...nothing.

 

[aart]

So maybe she's just a slacker.
Only way to know for sure would be a 'butt check',
then lock her up if exam indicates she is laying.

Vent Appearance:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.

Pelvic Points, feel for the 2 bony points(pelvic bones F-F) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.
(Spacing is relative with chickens size and humans finger size.)

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days (or longer) can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Flaisure]

I have an olive egger that is 26wks. She laid 5 eggs and now has stopped. She is acting completely fine. Eating and drinking acting normal. She just stopped laying. Any ideas what might be causing this?

 

[azygous]

Be patient. New egg layers may be inconsistent. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Flaisure]

Be patient. New egg layers may be inconsistent. Nothing to worry about.

Thanks. The only reason I'm concerned is because she hasn't laid the last 3 weeks.

 

[sawilliams]

I have a few EE that are temp sensitive. I'm only saying out of experience but 3 off my 6 EE will stop laying if temps are over about 95 degrees, but they are also my first to stop for the winter too, with at least 2 of 5 having already stopped this season (the 6th is brooding chicks). I will say that 1 of my EE easily stopped 3-4 weeks ago and we still have at least 13 hours of sunlight too. When it comes to EE I'm not impressed, they are just difficult to depend on, even first years stop laying for winter.

 

[azygous]

The decreasing daylight certainly could be affecting her hormones. It's the most common reason why hens stop laying.

If she had an internal problem, which is always possible, she would be showing signs of discomfort. A hen that doesn't feel well will go mute, stand around with tail held low and flat, and often face into a wall or corner.

It's unlikely the problem is something other than lack of enough daylight hours. Some hens are more sensitive to the shortening days and quit laying early.