Chicken bald back

[Newchick76]

Hi guys... Don't know if any of you can offer some advice. I have two chickens from Omlet, which we have had nearly two years. One seemed to stop laying about six months ago and the other about two. One seems to have completed a moult and looks very plump and healthy. The other is mid moult and rather shabby looking but is sprouting lots of new feathers. We found an odd lump of membrane a few months ago in the nesting box and yesterday one laid something that looked like a lash, but not sure... It has a yolk and white but no real shell, just membrane and something that looked more fleshy. Bit grim! Any ideas? Is there any chance we could be seeing some more eggs? I thought they laid for 3-4 years? Thanks if you are able to help! Xx

[Beantree]

Hens can lay deformed eggs at the end of their laying life or at any time if they are starting from a layoff or finishing for a moult Newchick76. Laying a 'lash' doesn't necessarily mean an end to their laying life as we've had them and the hens have laid again. Takes anything from 2 weeks to a year in my experience. They won't lay until a moult is fully completed as they need all the protein intake to grow the feathers so there isn't spare to put into an egg. When you say 'plump and healthy' do you mean fat? Fat obstructs the oviduct and they stop laying so you need to diet them perhaps, but not until the second has fully feathered. We have some Orpington fatties that can't lay.

 

I've replied to a post in this section about numbers of eggs hens produce. Some hybrids may stop at 18 months having only produced 300, others may get up to 600 eggs in total laid over two or three years, although some do trickle a few eggs out for longer but that's exceptional. So far no-one I've dealt with has produced any evidence of a hen laying more than 600 eggs in total. Certainly we've never had more than that.

[Newchick76]

Thank you.. I guess we just wait and see...

No, she's not fat really... Just feathers! And probably in comparison to the other who look like she is being repared for the oven!

The second has lots of new feather poppping up now, so fingers crossed they are back in action soon.

[Newchick76]

Thank you.. I guess we just wait and see...

No, she's not fat really... Just feathers! And probably in comparison to the other who look like she is being repared for the oven!

The second has lots of new feather poppping up now, so fingers crossed they are back in action soon.

[AlisonH]

Have you checked for mites? Mine stopped laying over the summer and it wasn't for quite a while before I realised it was mites. As soon as I treated for it, eggs returned.

[Sandychick]

Omlet hens usually lay for at least 3 years, but not always - one of mine was still laying at over 4 years old the other stopped a year earlier. It might just be that they have been molting, but if there are still no eggs when they have all their feathers back it might well be something else. Have they been wormed with Flubenvet recently?? Worms can really have an effect on egg laying including soft or thin shelled eggs. Also, are they eating enough of the layers pellets? If they are free ranging a lot it could be that they are eating much tastier things, but not getting enough of the right stuff to produce eggs. As AlisonH said check their house for mites (usually have pale combs also) and have a good look at their feathers for lice etc. If you have already done these, I'm stuck for ideas!

 

Good luck, hope you have some eggs on the way soon