[juliaseb]

Hi, Please help. I live in South Wales and  we have three chickens in our garden who are pretty healthy, they are coming up to two years old. They have been great layers even through the winter, but all of a sudden two of them have srtopped laying all toghther, also I have noticed they have a red slightly bald patch on the underside of their breast area. Could they be starting to moult or is it something more sinister? I have checked the house for red mite but no obvious signs. The one hen who is still laying moulted a few months ago.
any advice welcome, thanks.

[ANHBUC]

They could be going through a partial molt which affects their laying sometimes.  If they are pure breeds they might be going broody but you have not mentioned them staying in the nest box so that is unlikely.  Other reasons for not laying can be a heavy worm or lice infestation.  Have they been wormed with flubenvet recently?

[juliaseb]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. The one that is still laying has been through a broody period which we managed quite well and she has moulted so pretty sure they aren't broody as that behaviour was pretty distinctive!! but the two that aren't laying dont seem to be moulting to the extent that sausage (who is still laying) did. But I didn't realise they can partially moult and there are some short feathers in the coup from one that isn't laying.

I wormed them around two weeks ago with verm x. I ill check with the kitchen roll on perch when it is dark tonight.
Also, one of the non-layers has been having occasions where she seems to be a little prolapsed. I have been advised by a fellow chicken keeper that this is quite common and not too dangerous as long as she doesn't seem in distress ( which she isn't ).

Thanks again, any advice welcome.

[ANHBUC]

Verm-x is not proven to kill worms in poultry so you would be better worming them with flubenvet.  You can get lice and mites that live on poultry so best to check for those as well as the coop for red mite.  There is some information on them HERE.

I would keep an eye on the one that may prolapse and check her for any lumps in her abdomen which could be a sign of being egg bound.  There is a thread on treating a prolapse which it might be advisable to read LINK.  They do tend to hide illness as they usually get bullied when they are ill. 

Hopefully it is just a partial molt.  Keep us up to date on what you find.   

[juliaseb]

Thank again. I will try the alternative wormer. Re the prolapse my son noticed it first a couple of weeks ago but it had gone back the next day. She did lay one very small egg with no yolk and blooming strands in it about a week ago which my husband saw but I didn't. I'm pretty sure that there are not any lice as we regularly check them and my 14 year old son has been pood on many a time when he sits them on his lap to check them over. He is very gentle with them. I have just checked in the dark with some white kitchen roll on the perch and underside and it has come aay very clean, we do keep the coop very clean and they free range in the garden all day. Their general condition is very good, i.e. nice red combs and shiny feathers and when we check for mites and lice the skin around the feathers seems in good condition other than the small pinkish area on the two in the underside breast where they have no feathers so I am hoping its a moult.

How would I know if "Beans" is egg bound??

I'll re worm and take it from there.
I'ill let you know.

Thanks again,

Julia.

[juliaseb]

Sorry, meant blooming strands, not blooming strands!! sleep needed.

[juliaseb]

ah just realised it thinks i'm searing. Small streaks of blood in eggs.

[ANHBUC]

I found this other article for you to have a read of HERE, it has some useful information.   

[Sassy]

What breed are they? If they are hybrids it is possible that they may have come to the end of their laying life

[juliaseb]

would they stoplaying all of a sudden and so soon. They have only been laying for 15 months or so.

[ANHBUC]

My hybrid is 3 years old and I thought she had stopped laying for good but she has started laying again this week.  She has been my best layer from getting her at 22 weeks old.   

[Sassy]

There will always be exceptions. The hybrids I had gave up the ghost at around 2 years old. I moved on to pure breeds after them