Young hens not laying for a long period, few symptoms

Foghorn_Flock

In the Brooder
Jul 11, 2020
3
1
22
Okaloosa County FL
Of my ten hen flock, at least three have not been laying for months. Some stopped in spring, some in summer.

Age : Less than 3 years old
Breed : Easter Egger barnyard mix (I know they stopped laying because the green eggs stopped)
Location : FL panhandle. High summer heat can slow laying but have been almost 4-6 weeks without blazing temps and one stopped in spring prior to high temps.
Living conditions : In a run but plenty of room. Unfortunately, mostly sand and more dust than I prefer. Hens sneeze every now and then but no chronic respiratory issues noticed. On layer pellets, provide kitchen scraps (tomatoes, strawberries, apples) every once in awhile and allowed to range in yard every once in awhile.
Symptoms noticed : Gray/dull combs, liquid filled crop at times but not all the time, seem to have a low hanging rear end, possible scaly leg mites but has not worsened or spread through flock all year, occasional liquid poop but no signs of parasites in it, healthy poop otherwise, molted June-July (how long to start laying after that?), healthy looking vent and actively healthy otherwise.
Treatments given : Electrolytes in drinking water, probiotics in drinking water, 3 full days of poultry nutri-drench in drinking water, afterward vet RX drops in watering cups. Did a preventative oral de-worming protocol over a year ago (safe-guard fenbendazole), nothing anti-parasitic since but I do have ivermectin.
Other info : Had a pair of Marans of the same generation that stopped laying for months on end and displayed similar symptoms a year ago. I ended up getting rid of them. Other hens in the flock appear more healthy and mostly laying on a regular basis but I feel it should be more. Getting 2-6 eggs a day. Among them, 7 month pullets that have just started to lay.

I would really like to care for these girls' needs so I can get them healthy and laying again as well as to prevent it from spreading through my flock. Thank you for any assistance!
 

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Eating/drinking/active/pooping...doesn't really sound like much is wrong, just not in lay. Check crops first thing in the mornings. Hanging low rear, may be a reproductive problem, hard to know.
Getting a fecal float to see if they need to be dewormed is a good idea.
Look them over for lice/mites, etc.

Scales of the legs, rub some vaseline or NuStock up underneath those once a week for a month or so to help rid the SLM.

Some breeds just are not prolific laying machines.
If production is important to you, then getting some breeds that are known for laying large amounts of eggs each year would be what you would want to do.

Hybrid layers, Leghorns, RIR, etc. would be good choices. Rotate out yearly or every two years to keep production moving.
 

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