Broody, Then Stopped Laying

[Woodys Chickins]

BACKGROUND:
5 hens; all are 1yr old as of May 2024
No rooster (don't want)
50/50 of the time they stay in their run, or free-range
Rhode Island Red (x2)--consistent daily eggs
Delaware, white (x1)--egg either daily or everyother day
Ameraucana, black (x1) -- PROBLEM
Ameraucana-mix(?) (x1) -- daily egg

ISSUE:
About a month ago, my black Ameraucana started becoming broody. She'd stay in the next box most of the day. I've managed to "untrain" her by removing her from the box and eventually I isolated her away from the box and coop for a few days (slept outside in the fully-enclosed-protected run area). Now she has access to the box but has stopped laying. Hasn't laid in 4 days. Prior to this, she was pretty regular with laying one egg daily. Other than this, she seems normal...she will roam with the other girls...poop looks normal...returns to the coop at evening. I haven't changed food, and no "people-treats" (Treats: I usually give them an apple (cored/no seeds) or shredded veggies a couple times weekly.) Location: South Texas; temps are beginning to hit 90-95. Plenty of shade and fresh water. I'm aware chickens tend to slow/stop laying when it's hot. (Note: I did set her in a shallow pan of cool water one time to help break her from being broody...she seemed to enjoy it and didn't flutter/squawk.)

ANY THOUGHTS WHY SHE'D STOPPED LAYING?

 

[DobieLover]

She stopped laying when she went broody. Once a hen is no longer broody it takes a bit of time before she will go back into egg laying mode.
Between the stress of being broody and your rising temperatures, she may take more time than usual before she starts laying.
You'll have to be patient.

 

[Woodys Chickins]

thanks Dobie!

 

[nuthatched]

Because she's still in baby mode or molting. Don't worry and be patient.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Before a hen even starts laying she stores excess fat to live off of if she ever goes broody. If your hen went broody she probably used up some of that store of fat and needs to replenish it.

When a hen goes broody she should stop laying, she does not have anything extra to use to make an egg. If she continues to lay eggs she will run out of nutrients. When they stop laying they make some changes to the internal egg making factory. For her to start laying again she needs to reverse those changes. That can take time.

The longer she is broody the longer it takes for her to reverse all this. She will lay when she lays. It may not be very long but then it may take a while. Each one is different. So, yes, be patient.

 

[Woodys Chickins]

Thank you! Good info; appreciated!

 

[Woodys Chickins]

Yay!!! After 10 days, Blackie laid her first egg since breaking her from being Broody!! Kinda oddly-elongated shape, but I'm just glad she's laid it--and didn't remain in the nest box.

Both the black Americauna and the gray-mix Americauna lay blue/green eggs. But the shell texture is completely different. Black's eggs are smooth shell, whereas the gray-mix always has "sandy" bumps texture. Not sure why...but they're both the same on the inside.

Thanks for the comments and feedback!