Eggless hen?

[BackAcre]

Hello All,
I have an almost 1 year old Speckled Sussex hen (hatched last May) who is stumping me about her egg laying. She is healthy, a good weight, normal energy, etc, but her laying is so sporadic it is almost non-existent. She laid her first egg around the same time as the others in the flock, mid January, but then didn't lay again for about 2 weeks, which didn't worry me much. Then she laid an egg, skipped a day, laid another egg, and then nothing for the past month+ I just keep waiting and assume that she will kick into laying mode eventually, how can she not? I know chickens have their 'lifetime supply' of eggs and they lay as many as they have and that's it, but would she ever just have 4 eggs to lay over her lifetime and no more? I would love any insight anyone has about this weird egg laying journey she is on! Do we think she is just a late bloomer or should I give up hope at this point for regular laying from her?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some birds are just duds, so that could be the case here.

 

[Perris]

She laid her first egg around the same time as the others in the flock, mid January, but then didn't lay again for about 2 weeks, which didn't worry me much. Then she laid an egg, skipped a day, laid another egg, and then nothing for the past month+

from this I would guess she is dealing with some sort of health challenge, so her body is diverting all resources to her immune system rather than her reproductive system. Hopefully she will get better (without intervention; please just leave her be) and will resume laying for you.

I nearly culled a pullet who, if she laid, laid soft shelled eggs in the coop overnight, or randomly the garden, for much of her first year. Whatever her issue was, it resolved on its own, and she has since laid hundreds of lovely eggs each year, with great shells, and is still going at 8 and still laying, though fewer now of course (she laid one last week). Don't rush to judge your chickens. They do not choose whether or not to lay. They lay if they can, but they are not always on good enough form to make eggs for you. Be kind to them at such times.

 

[BackAcre]

Some birds are just duds, so that could be the case here.

I'm starting to wonder!

 

[BackAcre]

from this I would guess she is dealing with some sort of health challenge, so her body is diverting all resources to her immune system rather than her reproductive system. Hopefully she will get better (without intervention; please just leave her be) and will resume laying for you.

I nearly culled a pullet who, if she laid, laid soft shelled eggs in the coop overnight, or randomly the garden, for much of her first year. Whatever her issue was, it resolved on its own, and she has since laid hundreds of lovely eggs each year, with great shells, and is still going at 8 and still laying, though fewer now of course (she laid one last week). Don't rush to judge your chickens. They do not choose whether or not to lay. They lay if they can, but they are not always on good enough form to make eggs for you. Be kind to them at such times.

Thanks for the glimmer of hope - luckily for her, our birds are just pets, so we keep them lifelong regardless of laying. We will just watch and see what happens. Fingers crossed, because she laid such pretty pink hued eggs those few times, they looked nice in our basket!

 

[Ridgerunner]

You do not get guarantees with living animals. Anything can happen. It is possible she is a dud, she may never lay another egg. That could be a disease, injury, birth defect, or something else. She may start tomorrow and do great. And there is another possibility.

How do you know she is not laying? A very common occurrence on here is that you think a hen has stopped laying but she is hiding a nest. They can be pretty good about hiding a nest even if they are confined to a coop and small run. I don't know how you are housing them or what her possibilities are but some people have been surprised to find nests in really strange locations. You might consider isolating her for a few days where you would know for sure if she laid an egg.

Good luck!

 

[BackAcre]

You do not get guarantees with living animals. Anything can happen. It is possible she is a dud, she may never lay another egg. That could be a disease, injury, birth defect, or something else. She may start tomorrow and do great. And there is another possibility.

How do you know she is not laying? A very common occurrence on here is that you think a hen has stopped laying but she is hiding a nest. They can be pretty good about hiding a nest even if they are confined to a coop and small run. I don't know how you are housing them or what her possibilities are but some people have been surprised to find nests in really strange locations. You might consider isolating her for a few days where you would know for sure if she laid an egg.

Good luck!

Thanks for your input - I have looked for hidden nests, and one of the few times she laid I did see her over wedged into the corner looking broody, but she moved when I came into the run, but I came back later and she had laid one of her eggs in the nesting box. So maybe she is a sneaky one, but the hens have been inside the hen house all winter and there are very minimal spots to hide a nest in there, unless she has it buried!