chickenNutter Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Ruby my Welsummer came into lay in December last year, at about 24 weeks and layed well until July. We went on holiday, and she was moved eglu and all to a friends. she laid on and off while we were away but after we got back we had eggs on the follwing 2 days, then no egg the next, then an egg, then nothing since mid July. I was finding feathers in the nest box during September, although she did not have any bald patches, and I know it is normal not to be laying at the moment, but isn't 6 months a bit of a long lay off, and should I be concerned? I can't believe it is the henopause, she is only about 19 months. Can anyone explain this - the cat usually sulks about being left behind, after we get back from holiday, but for a chicken 6 months seems like a bit of an excessive sulk! I thought Welsummers were reasonably good layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henslaved Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Similar situation here. My two hens are around 2 yrs old and haven't laid an egg since June . This was the last ( I use the term loosely) "egg" I had last year It wasn't much bigger than a grape. And no it wasn't from a bantam A fellow chicken keeper once told me that after laying an egg a day for months on end, the hens need to have a break and then start laying again but each time the break gets longer. As long as she is eating and drinking ok and doing chickeny things I wouldn't be too concerned . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Cheers for that, I presumed as she was healthy and eating she was ok, but I was confused as to why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 One of my Black Rocks stopped laying last June (apart from those little fart eggs every now and again) and she was just over a year old. She eventually had a moult at the end of last year and then started laying normal eggs on the 1st January this year. Think these hens like to keep you on your toes by being as unpredictable as possible . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 My Welsummer went broody last October, then she had a mini moult in Dec but she still hasn't started laying again yet. she is only about 9 months old. Hopefully she will start again soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Perhaps she's just stopped Kate It's what our nutty Mo Mo did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Oh, don't say that Anne, now having 4 banties all likely to be broody at the same time, Ruby was the only reliable egg layer. OH considered the few eggs we did get to be the most expensive in the world as it was before she stopped laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
