My Hen isn't laying! (typical question...)

[melvshens]

I'm going to list everything that may be important

She is a Rhode Rock (hybrid) hen

She gets plenty of oyster shell

She is in a 3 x 4 metres run, with two other hens (lohmann browns)

She is around 21 months old, and hasn't been laying for about 1-2 months. Her last eggs had thin shells.

She has laid an egg about twice in a month, but before she stopped she was a fairly regular layer (around 1 egg a day)

I don't know what is going on but we need to keep up our production levels to keep our business going!
If you do know a way to solve it, Please tell us!

 

[melvshens]

not exactly a 'hello' but thats irrelevant...

 

[Marigold]

Hi Melvshens and welcome to the Forum.
I'm going to move your post to the General Chickens section of the Forum because more people may see it there. (Your post will appear in both places but people should only reply to your query in the Chickens forum.)
I hope you get some good replies - I've got one who isn't laying as well so shall be interested in any advice given!

 

[chrismahon]

Well this is Melvshens and welcome to the forum.

Rhode Rocks are a Blackrock 'copy'. To achieve that highly productive hen a Rhode Island Red strain was crossed with a Plymouth Rock and developed (crossed again and re-crossed) to achieve the end result. The name 'Blackrock' has been protected and is aggressively defended against poor copies that used to use the same name. Hence the term Rhode Rock, which is just a RIR crossed with a Plymouth Rock but without the years of development.

Your hen shows the signs of end of lay -no more eggs left to give. There is no run space issue with 4 square metres each (the minimum for a permanent run) and presumably these are not new LB's. However if they are and she stopped laying when they arrived, she is being bullied and won't lay until the bullying has stopped.

 

[melvshens]

Thanks, we thought that was what it was

 

[Marigold]

As Chris says, with 12 sq. metres of run space you have no pressure on room ATM. You have plenty of room for 6 hens in there. If the eggs are important to your business you could either keep her as a pet for the time being and get 3 more POL hybrid pullets, or have her put to sleep by the vet or cull her yourselves, and then get 4 more.
She is fairly young to have given up laying, even for a hybrid, but sometimes they do cease laying after their second season and unfortunately, there is very little you can do about it once shell quality begins to decline.

 

[Chuck]

They are a straight RIR X Barred Rock cross and at 21 months she should still be laying though perhaps not at the level as in her first season. This type has been developed for home use rather than as a commercial layer. Depending on what time of the year she was hatched, it's possible she is having a slow moult (as opposed to losing a lot of feathers quickly). Within a flock, they are individuals and don't all react or perform the same even though they are bred to. If she's healthy, she may just be taking a break, so either hang in there or replace her.

 

[chrismahon]

Good point from Chuck that I had overlooked Melvshens. She is at the right age and she could have started a subtle moult that you haven't noticed. Any feathers in the run? Some of our wild birds are taking shed feathers for their nests, so that could be where they are going anyway. Check her out for new feather growth.

 

[melvshens]

Thanks all, she is laying more and more often now, so she is definitely staying with us for the time being!