Will she ever lay again?

arrbee · October 20, 2010

When my neighbour moved to somewhere with no garden in August, I took on her chicken. She was in a fairly sorry state (the chicken, not the nieghbour). A couple of months before I got her (so about 5-6 months ago), a fox had got in and taken the other two chickens - she was the sole survivor. Before this happened, she had been laying normally, but was very shaken up by the fox attack, and has not laid since. Since getting her in August I bought a couple of pol chickens to keep her company. They have now started laying, but the original chicken is still not showing any signs of producing eggs. She also doesn't seem to mix much with the two new chickens. When let out of their run, they run around the garden together, but the older one usually just potters around on her own. She seems to be eating normally, though perhaps not as much as the others - difficult to be sure.

I don't know exactly how old she is - I think perhaps around 9-12 months, maybe a bit more, so probably not past it yet. Will she ever lay again? Do chickens get over this sort of shock? What (if anything) can I do to help/encourage her?

Chucky Mama · October 20, 2010

I'd give her a course of Flubenvet wormer (might as well do the others too) and sit tight and wait.

arrbee · October 21, 2010

I did that within a couple of days of getting her, and followed it up with another dose a few weeks later. I dont' think worms is the problem.

arrbee · October 29, 2010

Whahaaay!!!!

She's just laid an egg!!!

Just when I'd all but given up on her, she's started laying agin! the first in over six months. Two days ago I noticed her comb was getting a bit redder, maybe a bit bigger, but not much. I didn't take too much notice of it. Then this morning, whilst the other two were upstairs laying, I noticed she wasn't sitting at the bottom of the ladder like she normally does when the others are laying - she wasn't in the run at all - she was upstairs too. I assumed she'd just gone up to see what was going on up there but when I opened up to collect the eggs, there were 3 of them! She'd gone up to lay with them.

Whooppee doo.

So we now have 3 chickens, all laying. What a wonderful feeling. Why do chickens do this to you?

Chicken shack · October 29, 2010

We are silly about our girls but it is such a good feeling when they lay. I am a first timer and got my girls in August. Rhoda laid from day 1 but about a month ago she was poorly and stopped laying just when Jasmin and blue bell started and this week Rhoda started to lay again. I now have 3 out of 4 laying most days. Lazy Daisy has not laid an egg ever. I can't wait to see what her eggs looks like.