Time to give hen the ax

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Anyone else have chickens here?

I've got a Penedesenca that is not even 3 years old yet and she has not layed an egg all summer. She doesn't exhibit any of the usual signs such as broodiness, molting. So the only thing I can figure is stress - but what does a stressed chicken look like? And why is she the only one stressed?

Given that there is nothing obvious I don't know where to look for signs of stress.

I am considering giving her the ax.

 

[1kzwoman]

Might I suggest she lays where you don't look! Some old girls are independent . Especially given free space.
She may be low hen on totem pole forced off nest by higher ups

 

[Warm_in_NH]

She could Def be laying elsewhere, stressed or sick.
How many birds do you have and how do you know she isn't laying?
We're down to 10 now. They've slowed way down in the past couple weeks but I'd never know if a specific one wasn't laying. ..

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

We have a mixed flock of 5 layers. The Penedesenca is the only one who lays dark brown eggs. The kids are pretty good at distinguishing the various light-brown eggs and who they came from. But the Penedesenca eggs are easy even for me to tell apart.

She is not laying elsewhere as we do not let them freerange. Our city frowns on chickens at large so we only let em out when they can be watched. I move the tractor daily so they have fresh grass/weeds. The kids are really good at keeping on top of the feed and water (I charge 'em $2 if I find either one completely empty and have to do it myself).

So stressed or sick are about the only other options. There is nothing about her behavior that is different except that after the Chantecler got fed up with her pullets following her around the Penedesenca took them under her wings. Other than that, I see no change in her behavior/appearance.

 

[bsruther]

Up to this year our white rocks were laying machines, even in winter. Their laying fell off dramatically this year and on top of that they were pecking half the eggs they laid. Before long we got tired of this behavior and gave the last 3 chickens the boot.

I'll be refurbing the coop and expanding the run here in a few weeks and then we'll get some pullets from someone the wife knows. We treat our chickens very well, but if they're not providing, they got to go.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I'm not finding any evidence of egg-eating. Just a noticeable lack of Penedesenca eggs (dark brown).

 

[Warm_in_NH]

We've had birds get stressed due to predators getting in the coop, but it might be a week slow down in production at the most.

 

[1kzwoman]

She brooded another hens pullets , give her until snow to start laying that's only a few weeks.