Hens quit Laying

[Missceegee]

Background
13 hens (2 brown leghorn, 1 buff Orpington, 10 RIR) and 1 RIR roo all born January and laying in May — most eggs a day was 9, but avg was 6-8. Now zero eggs in a week. Two the week before. Eating and drinking ok. Pale combs on some.

Added 7 more hens born in March in July (2 Plymouth blue rock, 2 starlight green Egger, 1 silver lace Wyandotte, 1 black sexlink, 1 black astralarp) - one of these is laying 1 small brown egg every 2-3 days

Feed - Purina Layena with free choice grit and free choice oyster shell and lots of pasture. Occ treats of scratch or dried mealworms. Currently giving 1 lb chopped spinach a day. Lots of water options - water bar with nipples in and out of tractor and 3 additional waterers.

Mobile coop on pasture with over 2000 sq’ pasture available. Coop is made of old utility tractor base and reclaimed cedar walls.

Poop seems normal. No worms visible.

In N Florida, crazy hot and wet weather.
Why might they have quit laying? They aren’t molting. No predator issues. Can see pale combs on some.

 

[Dovethesilkie]

Try some vitamins in there water wish I could help more are any eggbound

 

[Missceegee]

I forgot to mention I give them Hydro-hen in water every day or two during the heat.

I’ve not had an egg bound before so I’m not 100% sure what I’ll see but they all look and act healthy save the pale combs.

 

[Dovethesilkie]

@Rhodebar Lover thought you might be able to help

 

[Ridgerunner]

The most common reason hens stop laying is the molt. That's highly unlikely in your situation but if you see a lot of feathers floating around let's talk some more.

It's possible something is getting the eggs. Are you seeing any broken bits of egg shells or wet spots? The things in Florida most likely to take eggs and not leave signs are snakes, canines, and humans. A snake eats eggs and stays away a few days to digest them and then comes back for more. You are not seeing that pattern. Coyotes or foxes would probably be more interested in your chickens than the eggs so probably not them. A dog can eat eggs and not bother hens. Does a dog have access? A human does not have to be a thief, some practical jokers think that kind of stuff is funny. How possible is it to be a human the way you manage them?

Hiding a nest is another common way for you to think they are not laying. That's pretty common when they free range.

What can you do? Can you lock them in the coop and run for a couple of days to see if eggs show up? If they do either you locked something out or they were hiding a nest. Can you mark an egg and leave it down there to see if it disappears? That would mean something is taking them.

Sometimes, for whatever reasons, they just stop for a while. It could be about anything.

Good luck, these things can be hard and frustrating.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Could be heat stress getting to them, many birds go off laying a bit during hot spells.

That is a LOT of spinach to be treating them with, by the way. If they have access to pasture they're already able to get some green stuff if they want it.

 

[yakitori]

Wow, what’s the reasoning behind the spinach? Is it home grown? I read commercial spinach is one of the nastiest pesticide laden veggies out there

 

[Missceegee]

The most common reason hens stop laying is the molt. That's highly unlikely in your situation but if you see a lot of feathers floating around let's talk some more.

It's possible something is getting the eggs. Are you seeing any broken bits of egg shells or wet spots? The things in Florida most likely to take eggs and not leave signs are snakes, canines, and humans. A snake eats eggs and stays away a few days to digest them and then comes back for more. You are not seeing that pattern. Coyotes or foxes would probably be more interested in your chickens than the eggs so probably not them. A dog can eat eggs and not bother hens. Does a dog have access? A human does not have to be a thief, some practical jokers think that kind of stuff is funny. How possible is it to be a human the way you manage them?

Hiding a nest is another common way for you to think they are not laying. That's pretty common when they free range.

What can you do? Can you lock them in the coop and run for a couple of days to see if eggs show up? If they do either you locked something out or they were hiding a nest. Can you mark an egg and leave it down there to see if it disappears? That would mean something is taking them.

Sometimes, for whatever reasons, they just stop for a while. It could be about anything.

Good luck, these things can be hard and frustrating.

I see a few feathers here and there, but not what I’d expect with a molt.


with the electric fence, most things don’t go in. Even a snake would have to slither over a shocking wire. I do have some deer cams and as soon as I pickup some batteries, I will hook up at least one. Where we are would require some fence climbing for a human that would likely set off one of the dogs, but should that be it, maybe the camera will show

We use a rollaway nest box and the cover is never opened til I collect eggs. No broken ones. Occasional rubber one under the roost Because they’re inside a fence I walk and look everywhere. Once one of the née hens laid an egg on the ground but that is the only one.
I appreciate your help thinking through things. If the camera should show something, I’ll report it here.

 

[Missceegee]

Could be heat stress getting to them, many birds go off laying a bit during hot spells.

That is a LOT of spinach to be treating them with, by the way. If they have access to pasture they're already able to get some green stuff if they want it.

It has been crazy hot and wet this summer!

Local long time (30+ years) farmer recommended.

 

[Missceegee]

Wow, what’s the reasoning behind the spinach? Is it home grown? I read commercial spinach is one of the nastiest pesticide laden veggies out there

Organic pricey veggies. Recommended by old timer for extra iron and other vitamins and minerals.