Single hen

[GaryHas]

GingerNut has not laid an egg since August 2008. We thought she was egg bound but having spoken to vet if she was egg bound for that length of time she would not now be with us. She strains but no egg. She is much larger than my other chicken Betty but same age, breed, etc. Any advice would help as I now run out of eggs on a daily basis and reluctantly have to buy them in supermarket. Thanks.

[Egluntyne]

How old is she?

 

When you say she is bigger than her companion, could she be swollen underneath or is she just generally bigger?

 

Does she free range? She could be laying in a nest of her own making.....ie under a shrub etc.

[GaryHas]

Betty Gingernut Marmite RIP

 

 

Betty's about a year old, when she first arrived she started laying at about the same time as the others, we whent on holiday in the August, and our niebours looked after them, whilst we were away she stopped laying in fact so did Gingernut ,Marmite was fine.the only differance is that Betty every now and then just stops and straines.

 

I would say Betty looks big in all over. Since we had a fox attack in February and I lost Marmite they have both been in the run, Gingernut started laying again! but Betty is still the same, and now we only let them out if we are in the garden ( which has not been much lately) I've checked and she does not appeared to have made a nest any where, any idears would be welcome.

[Christian]

When you says she strains, do you mean that her vent is moving, kind of pulsating? That is normal for chickens.

 

If she is actually straining, then a trip to the vet might be in order. One of mine hasn't laid since the end of 2007! Free loader!

 

Is she fat at all? They say fat hens don't lay, so maybe withhold the treats and just feed pellets for a few weeks?