Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Jo W]

Does anyone have any experience of a hen who has stopped laying through old age? Tikka is about 5 and a half and until recently has been an excellent layer - about 6 eggs a week except for a short break each winter after her moult. Even this spring she was producing an egg most days. Then the eggs had *really* thin shells for a few days and then stopped altogether. She looks fine and healthy and her behaviour has not changed, but no eggs for 2 weeks now. Is this just a case of her reaching he end of her laying life?

[Olly]

I'd guess that it is - she might still lay occasionally but anything over 2-3 years is good for a hybrid.

[Gertie]

I had a hen recently who has always been a daily layer. She is 3+. I was worried because I found her in the nestbox with clear fluid coming from her vent. I took her to the vet as I was worried she may have a broken egg inside her. The vet examined her but found nothing untoward but prescribed antibiotics.

 

In the meantime I gave her zolcal calcium supplement and cod liver oil. She was totally fine in herself. Anyway, after a few weeks she started laying again. I don't know if it was any of those treatments that helped. I thought then, after there was no stuck egg that she was just at the end of her laying life honestly, but apparently not!

 

I am going to keep supplementing with calcium from time to time to prevent the soft shells and thin shells of ageing hens.

[Jo W]

Thanks for the info. Looks like Tikka is a star chicken for all the eggs she's given us over the years! Got the perfect excuse to get another chicken now... just to keep egg numbers up of course