Stressed hens?

[IAML1209]

Hello everyone I am seeking insight and advice. My current issue is with my three Lavender Orpington hens. I got them in July this year. I am not sure of their exact age but I do not think they are older than three. When I first got them they all stopped laying for about 2 weeks but have been pretty steady until about two weeks ago. Now my hen Violet is the only one who lays consistently. Willow lays at most twice a week and Mauve has been laying empty soft shells that I randomly find with her poop. ( I have increased her calcium and protein but still not change.) Now when my hens are out around the backyard they hide under the wheelbarrow. My hen Willow has been having weird poops that are watery and spill on her feathers and my hen Violet injured her wing.( It looked droopy possibly dislocated so I wrapped it to possibly help healing.) These things all stated to happen when we got new chicks at the end of September.(The chicks stay in the coop and we keep the light on for the at night but cover the light so the whole coop is not lit up) I am not sure if this is causing stress to the hens or if there are some other hidden issues. Any feedback would be helpful.

 

[azygous]

The most plausible cause of these egg laying issues is molt. If you live in the northern hemisphere, the daylight hours are now less than twelve hours, so most hens will stop laying. This also triggers molt in hens age two and older. Egg quality falls off during molt if not ceasing laying all together.

Even very dim light all night long will cause hens to continue to lay, and if their bodies are responding to molt, this can definitely add stress.

 

[IAML1209]

The most plausible cause of these egg laying issues is molt. If you live in the northern hemisphere, the daylight hours are now less than twelve hours, so most hens will stop laying. This also triggers molt in hens age two and older. Egg quality falls off during molt if not ceasing laying all together.

Even very dim light all night long will cause hens to continue to lay, and if their bodies are responding to molt, this can definitely add stress.

Hello, thank you for the advice. Is there anyway to tell for sure if it is molt or not. It could explain why they stopped laying when I first got them because they were missing a lot of feathers on their saddles, backs, and necks and they took a while to grow back but right now I am not seeing any signs of molting. Is there anyway to tell for sure?

 

[azygous]

First, are you located in the top half of the planet? If not, then there may be pathological or dietary causes for not laying.

Even if they've completed molt, if you are in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting too short to trigger the laying hormones. Chickens that have recently completed molt will have sleek, shiny, new feathers. Those that are still molting will have patches of emerging pin feathers on butts, necks, and back.

 

[IAML1209]

First, are you located in the top half of the planet? If not, then there may be pathological or dietary causes for not laying.

Even if they've completed molt, if you are in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting too short to trigger the laying hormones. Chickens that have recently completed molt will have sleek, shiny, new feathers. Those that are still molting will have patches of emerging pin feathers on butts, necks, and back.

I am in the northern hemisphere. In TN. The season has noticeable changed and the days are definitely shorter but could that explain the soiled butt feathers?

 

[azygous]

Soiled butt feathers can be from several things, from benign to concerning.

First, try to match up what the soiled butt's poop looks like. If it's very runny and smelly, there may be a bacterial infection going on. If the poop is normal, look at the hen's weight. If she is carrying extra fat below the vent and behind the legs, her poop will hit this "shelf" rather than clearing it. This is concerning only insofar as it may lead eventually to fatty liver disease in a few years.