Chickens not laying?

[AnnieE]

Hello,

I have 6 black sex links (1 year old), an aracuana (sp?), and a speckled sussex.

Some of my bsl are either not laying or theyre taking turns bc im only getting ~3 a day. and im not seeing any behavioral problems. I can only observe them after work and on weekends so i dk which ones it is. Feed is being eaten, water is being drunk, theyre all anxious to be let outside to forage when i get home.

None appear sick or in pain.

Is there a way to figure out whats going on? Its been about the last two weeks or so. 5 eggs, then 3, then 4, then 5, then 3, then 3, etc. Or is this just a phase?

Im still getting eggs from the other two. Theyre a diff color so i can tell.

Thx

 

[DeeX]

How old are they?

 

[AnnieE]

1 year (April, so 1 year 3 months).

 

[Nupe]

Did you raise these chickens yourself or are they a new addition? Has their environment recently changed?

 

[AnnieE]

I got the bls when they were baby chicks. I added the other two in december. For the last few months, ive been getting 7, 6, 8, 8, 7, etc. Its just recently that their laying patterns have changed.

Though i did fence in the north side of the run to cut down on the screeching of one of them (im in a city w neighbors) and put a permanent roof on (in preparation for winter snow). The south side is still open, though admittedly shadier than it was.

 

[Nupe]

Chickens get cranky over change. Give it a few weeks, they're probably fine.

 

[XcanjadiToino]

I think that is normal given the age of the chickens! They enter into a new cycle. (Even) Some breeds of chickens between cycles become broody. Some breeders do not give feed them (it only provided water) so that the hens start to lay again.
Good luck, from Portugal

 

[JulieAGill]

I have 5 that are almost a year old. One of them came from the neighborhood chickens (found it at 3 days old). She went broody on me a few months ago (this is the second time) and has not laid an egg since. She is the only one in the little flock that lays a tan colored egg so I know she isn't laying. They were treated for worms but it didn't really affect the egg laying. She also lost all her tail feathers and has little white feathers on her head and on the rest of her as if she is "shedding" her winter coat. I know that's not what they do. According to what I have read they are too young to molt. I thought maybe she was egg bound, but, she is not displaying any of the symptoms of that. She is acting perfectly normal, she's just not laying eggs.

 

[AnnieE]

I dont think any of mine are broody. I never see them hanging out in the nesting boxes and longer than normal.