Shrinking comb?

[BillinasBackyard]

Hello everyone, I am looking for some help on my 6 month old Barnevelder hen. She was steadily laying for about 1.5 months before she suddenly stopped about 2 weeks ago. Her face is still bright red, she is eating, drinking and acting completely normally however, her comb seems to be much smaller. Still healthy looking, not pale or ashy, just small. This is our first time with Barnevelders and we have read and been told that they lay through winter, its October and only slightly cold. Her sister (same age) is still laying. Should I be concerned??

 

[Paz]

Hello, it seems to me that your hen is cold, or feels the season changes. In some hens, the comb becomes smaller during the winter, some will molt and begin laying again after a month or so, and some will stop laying for the entire winter.

 

[aart]

only slightly cold.

Chickens don't stop laying in winter because of the 'cold',
it's because the daylight hours shorten.
They need a certain amount of daylight to stimulate the pineal gland behind their skull between their eyes, that starts a waterfall of hormones that cause ovulation.

Her sister (same age) is still laying. Should I be concerned??

Every bird is different so may have different levels of productivity.
As long as she's eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK,
I'd not worry. The state of the comb can often indicate laying status.

Do they free range?

Might be time for an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[BillinasBackyard]

Chickens don't stop laying in winter because of the 'cold',
it's because the daylight hours shorten.
They need a certain amount of daylight to stimulate the pineal gland behind their skull between their eyes, that starts a waterfall of hormones that cause ovulation.


Every bird is different so may have different levels of productivity.
As long as she's eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK,
I'd not worry. The state of the comb can often indicate laying status.

Do they free range?

Might be time for an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Thank you for all of the information! Yes, they do free range and everything seems normal. I see now that she may possibly be going through a small molting. Otherwise everyone is happy and healthy.

 

[K0k0shka]

My Barnevelders are extremely unreliable layers, I got them as eye candy and that's what they've been. Not to say that all are like that, just that it's possible. They were the last to start laying from their hatchmates, they are still the last to start every spring, the first to stop in the fall, they lay absolutely nothing all winter, and in the short few months when they do lay, it's infrequent and their eggs are small. One of them is also chronically broody, so most of her active season she spends in the process of either being broken, or hatching/raising chicks, so I don't see a lot of eggs from her at all. Their combs are tiny compared to my other single comb chickens, and they get even smaller in winter. Which is a good thing, considering that I'm in a cold climate. If your pullet is otherwise acting normal and looking healthy, I wouldn't worry too much about it, but wouldn't expect eggs through winter either.

 

[BillinasBackyard]

My Barnevelders are extremely unreliable layers, I got them as eye candy and that's what they've been. Not to say that all are like that, just that it's possible. They were the last to start laying from their hatchmates, they are still the last to start every spring, the first to stop in the fall, they lay absolutely nothing all winter, and in the short few months when they do lay, it's infrequent and their eggs are small. One of them is also chronically broody, so most of her active season she spends in the process of either being broken, or hatching/raising chicks, so I don't see a lot of eggs from her at all. Their combs are tiny compared to my other single comb chickens, and they get even smaller in winter. Which is a good thing, considering that I'm in a cold climate. If your pullet is otherwise acting normal and looking healthy, I wouldn't worry too much about it, but wouldn't expect eggs through winter either.

Thank you for this information, its really helping to set my mind at ease. We are new chicken owners and we did so much reading on Barnevelders ahead of time which all told us such different information (laying consistently, laying through winter, etc.) I'm still extremely happy with our choice because of how friendly and social they are but we are definitely finding that some things are not as we were expecting lol. Glad you are all here to help with the learning process!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Only have 1 Barney and she's the same age as yours OP, but she lays like clockwork to the point where I could reliably predict her laying schedule, which came in handy as she wasn't using the nest boxes and needed a little help in that department. She is unusually small and skittish though, and something of a loner. Just goes to show how much variance there is within a breed!

 

[BillinasBackyard]

Only have 1 Barney and she's the same age as yours OP, but she lays like clockwork to the point where I could reliably predict her laying schedule, which came in handy as she wasn't using the nest boxes and needed a little help in that department. She is unusually small and skittish though, and something of a loner. Just goes to show how much variance there is within a breed!

I have 3, all the same age. 1 sounds exactly like yours, much smaller, skittish, shy around food the other chickens and us and hasn't started laying yet. The other 2 are much larger, louder and ready to eat absolutely anything lol. The one I was writing about is extremely friendly and social, will come and sit on my lap, prefers to eat out of peoples hand, etc. When she was laying it was so predictable and consistent. She was actually laying every day at the same time and in the same box. Then she just stopped. The middle one is still laying as usual.

 

[Mrs. K]

There is really no reason to worry. People can’t change laying in a bird, they either lay or they don’t.

One can add lights in a timer, and that will encourage the flock to keep laying, but individual bird lay according to their own drum.

Mrs K

 

[BillinasBackyard]

There is really no reason to worry. People can’t change laying in a bird, they either lay or they don’t.

One can add lights in a timer, and that will encourage the flock to keep laying, but individual bird lay according to their own drum.

Mrs K

Thank you, you all have set my mind at ease ❤