3yo Wyandotte Hen no longer laying?

[VikingBird]

I have a small flock of 7 hens that are all the same age (just turned 3 years old this month). Various breeds. My Wyandotte hen has been looking rather scruffy this year, and never started laying again after last autumn/winter. It’s been at least 8 months since she last laid an egg. She doesn’t seem sick or in pain, and is still active in the yard and comes for treats and scraps. All my other hens look great and sleek and are laying normally. Any ideas as to what could be the matter? She’s been looking rough since at least this February.

All I can think of is that she’s prematurely aged! Is that a thing that can happen to chickens?

I’ve attached some photos of her, and of some of the other hens for contrast.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Have you checked her for mites and lice?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would check for mites and lice as suggested above, but yes some birds age out of laying earlier than others so certainly not impossible for a 3 yr old hen to have hit "henopause" already.

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with the above, just like in people, aging individualized.

 

[VikingBird]

I have checked her for lice/mites— she has nothing that I can see. She’s still a healthy weight. And all my hens sleep crammed next to one another (their choice, they have so much room!) so it would be odd for her to be the only one with lice or mites without them spreading, right?

Crazy that she may just be prematurely old!!

 

[VikingBird]

I should add that I’ve checked her periodically for bugs in the previous months, and each time, I haven’t found anything.

I have checked her for lice/mites— she has nothing that I can see. She’s still a healthy weight. And all my hens sleep crammed next to one another (their choice, they have so much room!) so it would be odd for her to be the only one with lice or mites without them spreading, right?

Crazy that she may just be prematurely old!!