Stopped laying ... continued

[MK123]

I'm still hoping one of my 2 chooks will start laying again - she is back to her usual chatty self after being ill for a few days; she is looking very healthy and eating as normal, but still no eggs - this is after about 4 weeks now. So I have been reading up just about everything I can access to see what might be happening or have happened with her ... this process should come with a health warning because I am now checking her out for just about every parasite known to man as well as looking for prolapses etc! One thing that keeps coming up is the term "internal layer" where the yolk is layed in the abdomen and basically the chicken absorbs it. How would I know whether she is an 'internal layer' and can she become one after being a successful 'proper layer'? Would her appetite not decrease if she was absorbing her own yolks?
Sorry for lots of questions - the articles just mention the term 'internal layer' without giving any really useful info. Any expert information would be much appreciated.

 

[E3lx]

What is she eating?
how old is she?
What was she ill with?
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/205807.htm
Does she have a colourful comb?
etc...

 

[kitty]

She was not broody was she? 2 of my chooks went broody last year and they did'nt lay for quite a few weeks afterwards.

What is she eating?
how old is she?
What was she ill with?
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/205807.htm
Does she have a colourful comb?
etc...

Oh gosh, why did you have to put that link there, I will be even more paranoid about my chooks now. Joking aside though it seems to cover just about everything relating to chickens and I'm sure it will be very useful to me and many others in the future, so thanks.

 

[chrismahon]

I've never heard of an internal layer either. Shouldn't worry too much though. Some of our hens after illness don't lay for months until they are good and ready. They younger ones and the hybrids usually start sooner. But is she is bright, good weight, eating well, talking and poos OK I can't see a problem. Is she starting the moult?

 

[foxy]

We are coming to the end of summer, this time of year some birds are coming into/preparing for an early moult, laying will then stop until the moult has completed, and depending on the time of year may not recommence until February the following year.

Another point is how old are your hens? Sometimes what you are led to believe...and the actual age may be slightly different!

One thing to mention is that "not laying" does not constitute an illness unless accompanied by other symptoms, some of which have been mentioned, eg. pale comb or weightloss.. so if a bird is apparently healthy but "off lay" I woudn't worry BUT it is important to routinely check particulary this time of year for the usual suspects..namely redmite which is indicated by listlessness and a pale comb, plus reticence to roost at night.

Internally laying is a condition which tends to affect vigorous layers eg: hybrids, or exbatts..this is simply where the egg contents miss part of the reproductive tract and enter the abdominal cavity, there is usually evidence of swelling, abdominal tightness, and depending how severe also breathlessness. There may be a characteristic "waddling" gait as well as fluid fills and causes distension.

 

[Chuck]

Stop worrying yourself. If she looks healthy, she is healthy. As Foxy says this is the worst time of year for hens to come back into lay with the daylight getting shorter. Throw the books away and don't go onto any more illness sites !

 

[MK123]

Hi all - and thanks for your interest and information. She became very listless for about 2 days with diarrhoea but starting perking up on day 3 after having probiotic yogurt and bran. I wormed both girls again with Flubenvet (despite being wormed a month earlier) and by day 6 she was eating properly and seeming more like her old self. That was some 4 or 5 weeks ago. She is a 9 to 10 month old Warren - isn't broody, nor shows any signs of a moult - so I guess she is just having a break from laying. She has an extremely well formed red comb and wattles (could enter a competition standard) - normal weight and chats away all day long about nothing at! So I think I will take your words of wisdom Chuck and stop reading the illness sites! It would be good just to know she will lay again - sometime - I am just not good at not knowing!

 

[rita]

hi i had a chicken who stopped laying and then started to try and crow so i think she/he was confused what she was she has never laid since that was a year ago, but still can't crow properly and has never tried to mate any of the chickens so i am not sure what was going on, but all the others are laying and all seem happy.
another reason why they can stop laying is red mite, all mine stopped when they had red mites took a while to get rid of all of them i now use diatom earth great stuff kills anything and everything and it is totally natural.

 

[chrismahon]

Hens can become cockerels, nearly. Caused by damage to one of the ovaries apparently which causes a surge in Testosterone. Not unusual really, I know of two. They grow spurs and large comb and wattles, stand more upright and are generally in charge. Make cockerel food and warning noises (as the dominant hen does anyway in the absence of the cockerel) but can include crowing. But they cannot reproduce, as basically they are just a macho hen.