BadGardener Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I got some new girls 2 and a half weeks ago. The only one that had come into lay was the White Star. She laid the day we got her, again 2 days later, then again 2 days after that (so Sat, Mon, Wed) and nothing since then. I know they are a bit irregular when they start but the gap of more than a week is starting to worry me. Is this normal or might there be something wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Are there any stress issues? Maybe they are still settling into their new home? When was the last time they were wormed? Are they free from lice/red mite? My Barred Rock stopped laying in August and I have just discovered she has coccidia. I did have issues with soft shelled eggs/laying issues with my Amber, but I tried cooked egg shells, calcium supplement and this really helped. I have heard many poultry keepers recommending limestone flour too. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadGardener Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 Thanks MrsB. Stress - well, she HATES being handled, and her last egg was just before I clipped her wing, so it could be the shock of that. They also haven't quite settled down as a group. At first the White Star and the Legbar were equally at the bottom but just in the last few days she's been chasing the Legbar around and asserting herself as second from bottom with the Legbar below her. Could that be a cause of stress? I spotted a caecal worm in the Legbar's poo so I wormed them with Flubenvet just to make sure (for a week finishing yesterday), but they were meant to have been wormed already. No sign of any mites or lice when I clipped her wings, but I haven't had a really really thorough look because she hates it so much. I've had a better look at the other 3 and they are all clear. She's behaving in a normal perky way and eating plenty, and her comb is still nice and red. I thought I wouldn't need to give them extra calcium as there's some in the layer's mash but I will have a go with the eggshells - the shells of the eggs she did lay were slightly on the thin side. Fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I have a 30 week old that did the same.. but she goes every day to the nest, does the full announcement, and no more eggs. She is a very big girl and seems to be in great health.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadGardener Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Any progress with yours, Sandyhas3chucks? To update: she has been doing a partial moult. It's definitely a moult, not feather pecking/parasites. My theory now is that the stress of the move and the initial pecking order issues triggered a partial moult. From what I have read birds do often moult a bit at this age in any case. I'm more hopeful now that the laying will return once she gets over the moult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 nope phantom laying continues.. If she were an ex batty I would be worried... I do hope there is no cause to... She is not molting but got a fair few others are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
