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[Sheldons Girls]

Hi! I'm a new at henkeeping - I've had them only about 3 months. One has always laid every other day. I was told she's about a year old. About a week after I got her she got a bit flighty and I had to get her out of the hedge. When I was carrying her she seemed thin to me, but as it was only my 4th or so time holding a hen, I really didn't know if she was or not. Since then she's seemed happy, healthy, and eating well with the others - UNTIl - about 2 weeks ago she skipped a day laying. Then 6 days ago she stopped laying altogether, but otherwise seemed fine. Today I separated her into a separate area and checked her out a bit. Her breastbone seems very prominent to me - she seems quite thin. Her vent is the right colour, but bulging. I watched her today - she is pecking and scratching, eating, & drinking. She didn't have access to the coop, but didn't seem interested in laying. Any thoughts?! I'm worried about her!

[Egluntyne]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Hybrids tend to be very lean. They put all their energies into churning out eggs rather than laying down muscle ... in fact they have been bred to do so.

 

As she is pottering about and eating and drinking, then I shouldn't worry too much. A truly egg bound hen will be miserable and ill looking. More info here

 

Are you certain that she hasn't taken to laying in the hedge or under a shrub?

[Sheldons Girls]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

A little more info - She's a pure breed - white leghorn. After the chase in the hedge we fenced the ladies. They have a very large coop with run attached that we made for them & we leave the door open into a fenced area during the day as well. The grass is tallish in places, but I checked tonight after she went in the run & there's no egg there. We also move them every 3 days or so, and we haven't noticed a stray egg.

 

When I went out to her tonight I checked her again. She seems extremely thin, but her vent seemed back to normal. As I had her separated from the others & the coop, I checked the grass again - but no egg.

 

When we got the hens we were told they were fully wormed & vaccinated - but I wonder. She's clean & as far as my novice eye can tell is free from lice etc but maybe she needs worming? Would that make her thin and/or stop laying?

 

Thanks!

[Egluntyne]

Worms would make her thin and have an impact on her laying.

 

Good idea to worm her. I would use Flubenvet rather than any of the herbal preparations which have not undergone strenuous testing to prove their efficacy.

 

Is her comb red and is she crouching?

 

Another thing that might impact on her laying is that she might not be eating enough of her pellets, but instead is filling up on 'junk food' whilst she is free ranging. Might be worth keeping her confined to the run for longer so that she can fill up on pellets.

[Sheldons Girls]

Thanks again! I will try the worming treatment.

 

Her comb is red. Eyes bright. Nostrils clear. Not sure what you mean by crouching. When in the run she's not sitting low or anything - just scratching around as normal. I've seen her come into the coop when the other hens are laying, but I haven't actually seen her sitting in the nesting box since she stopped laying - although she could be when I'm not around.

 

I'll try keeping her in the run a little longer with the pellets & see what happens.

 

Thanks again!

[Chucky Mama]

I wouldn't be too concerned regarding her feeling skinny. You are used to seeing plump chickens ready for the pot from the supermarket. They are very different from a laying hen. My hybrid hens are very lean and a couple feel like hat racks. They are however regularly Flubenvet wormed, have as much food available as they can eat (layers pellets), free range all day and provide a daily egg. They are very healthy but carry no weight at all. If she is eating, drinking and behaving normally apart from laying, I would worm her and keep an eye on her.