Chicken bald back

[nin-chicken]

I have 4 hybrid girls who will be a year old in a couple of months. I have previously been getting 3-4 eggs a day but one of my girls hasn't laid at all now for at least 6 days, possibly longer. The reason I say "possibly longer" is that we were on holiday for a week at the beginning of the month so I don't know if she laid while we were away as my sister was looking after them and not keeping track of who was laying the eggs (luckily all 4 girls lay a slightly different coloured egg!)

Anyway, the one not laying is eating and behaving totally normally , just not laying. The only thing I can think of is that we have had road works going on outside our house for a couple of weeks now which has been pretty noisy. She is the 'worrier' of the flock and does get a bit panicky about noises or anything unusual so could it be that? Does it do them harm to stop laying? And what would you recommend to help her?

Many many thanks

[Beantree]

I think you are quite right about the cause Nin-chicken. She has stopped laying because she now feels that where she is isn't secure. The noise will have upset her and that's all. If she is eating and drinking there is no problem. Not laying is fine, because she only has a limited number of eggs to give you and you will just get them later on. You can't do anything to help her I'm afraid. She will get over it and back to laying in her own time which will probably be a week or so after the roadworks are completed.

[nin-chicken]

Thank you, I hope so. Poor old Marigold, I hate to think that she feels unsafe

[Space Chick]

When did you worm them last?

[nin-chicken]

First week of feb. All others are laying normally, but Marigold still hasn't... Do you think I should worm again?

[Space Chick]

Did you worm them with Flubenvet?

 

I'd say you are only a week or so early, so yes, worm them again, but make sure you do use flubenvet.

 

To be honest, I don't think it's worry that has stopped her laying to be honest. Could be any number of reasons.

 

You said she's eating and drinking OK. How does her crop feel in the morning? If it is big and hard could be she is crop bound, if it is feeling full of fluid it could be sour crop, have you checked her for lice or mites? Does she have a mucky bum?

[nin-chicken]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I always worm with flubenvet. I just went out to feel her crop and it didn't feel hard and full or full of liquid. Her bum is clean and there are no lice on her. I will worm them again once my food arrives in the post later this week. In the meantime do you think I should take her to the vet? What else could it be??

Thanks again x

[Space Chick]

If she's eating and drinking well and doesn't have any worrying symptoms and is engaging with the other hens it could just be she is a flaky layer..... I've had a few over the years

 

Does her abdomen seem puffy and fluidy? Is she hunching? Does she sound wheezy or have any strange discharge from her nostrils?

 

If the answer is yes to any of those questions then take her to the vet, if the answer is no, then I'd leave her be.

[nin-chicken]

Thanks so much space chick for taking the time to respond. The answer is 'no' to all of those questions. She is behaving totally normally in fact, and feels normal too . A few times I have seen her going into the nest box, sometimes for quite a while but still no eggs. I'm assuming if she was egg bound she would be swollen in the tummy, which she isn't. I'm hoping she is just 'flaky'! She's a gorgeous girl and i love her whether she lays eggs or not

[Space Chick]

Of course the other option could be she is eating her own eggs

 

I've had egg eaters over the years too

[nin-chicken]

Would she eat the whole thing, shell and all?? Surely there would be a bit of mess left behind? It is weird how she keeps going into the nest box....

[Space Chick]

Yep. My now departed Gwen was a very talented egg eater.... All gone without a trace

 

When she died my egg numbers went up a bit

[nin-chicken]

Ha! That's hilarious! I'm going to watch her VERY carefully from now on