Oat Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Hi All One of our hens is not laying. She is 18 to 24 months old, is not in moult, seems healthy and has good appetite. She is a Goldline hybrid. She has not laid an egg for about 4 weeks, prior to that we noted a few shell less eggs and some with with very thin shells, we ensured the diet was strict hoping for an improvement. Diet is water, smallholder mash. We only have 2 hens at the moment so it has been easy to work out which one was not laying. The only change in recent conditions is that we lost one of our other hens some weeks ago, the vet did what she could but it had to end in a final sleep. We are in the process (when weather allows) of building a WIR, when it is complete we will add 3 hens. Any ideas please? Maybe it is normall for a hen to come off lay for a few months? Thanks Oat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance in the dark Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I had a hen who did this a few months ago, who at the time was about 14 months old. She stopped laying and looked a bit poorly for a couple of days, I thought she might be egg bound, but couldn't find anything. Anyway, after a few days she perked up and then didn't lay for nearly a month, then she came back into lay, she didn't lay and sofites, but she laid some thin shells and some very rough shells. She is fine now though a couple of months on. I think sometimes hens do just have a little break, but sometimes they can pick up a minor infection or something that just puts them off for a few weeks. I would suggest, keep and eye on her, crack out the old cider vinegar for a few days and just give her time, if she doesn't appear to be in any kind of distress she is probably just taking a break. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Have you wormed her with Flubenvet recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oat Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 Yes, we wormed them about 3 or 4 weeks ago with Flubenvet. Tim, situation sounds pretty similar to yours. I'll go break open the poultry drink stuff we have and put some poultry spice in their food. Thanks all - it's just that their isn't enough eggs to have dippy boiled eggs for brekkie at the mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Mine are laying a few less at the moment too - it's down to the grotty weather and reduced daylight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance in the dark Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I know what you mean dogmother, yesterday I got four eggs. FOUR!!! And I have ten hens are supposedly in full lay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oat Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 Back again... The same hen is still not laying. I guess she is around 2 years old now, she eats fine, she goes to the nest box sometimes like she is going to lay an egg but nothing happens. Is it normall that a young hen will stop laying at 2 years old? Any advice welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 It can happen; hens can stop laying for any number of reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntielizzie Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I have had exactly the same problem with one of my hens, a Rhode Sussex, Bessie. She was POL in April 2011. She was laying 6 days a week up until she started a big moult between October to December 2011, when she stopped laying and then didn't start laying again until early spring. She laid one or two eggs, then nothing for weeks and weeks. I too only have two hens and the other one, a Columbian Blacktail (Betty) bought at the same time, has continued laying pretty much every day. I tried just about everything I could from making sure the house and bedding were squeaky clean, poultry spice, ACV, mint and garlic, tonic, growers mash, layers mash, organic mash, garvo mash (now the current favourite with them), all sorts of treats, more time FR - just about everything I could think of in different combinations. Nothing made any difference. She would be in and out of the nest box, sitting there for ages chuntering away to herself and then emerge, having procuded nothing. All the while she has been absolutely fine in herself, eating and drinking as normal. All of a sudden, about a month ago now, she laid an egg! Then the next day she laid another egg! Now she lays 4-5 eggs a week. I have no idea how long this will continue, but I will just enjoy it while it lasts (she lays the most lovely eggs too - better than Betty's). In spite of all my enquiries on here, I have no idea what was wrong, or what I was doing wrong; maybe its just the way she is. No help to you I know, but at least you know it's not just happening to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardr Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 We have four hens. 2 x and 2 x Top of our pecking order Giselle , who is about 24 months and one of our original pair, has laid not a single egg since we introduced the new pair 2 x in April this year. They are wormed regularly and have layers pellets,cider vinegar, garlic et al. We keep treats for late afternoon/early evening and don't overdo it. A proper little madam having a proper little strop is my conclusion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
