# Bantam stopped laying?



## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

She is 7 mo Old. (partridge wyandotte) She just started laying Aug 13. She got up to laying every other day. Was protective when laying and bit me anytime I reached in. Last 3 or 4 eggs she started acting like she might go broody but I would just remove her from the nest and she was fine. Never did progress enough to not roost at night. Then she stopped laying. Hasn't laid in a week or so. I've searched the coop and run. I dug through the nest boxes. She's not hiding eggs. She's alert and healthy. Eats well. Still has a bit of an attitude. Belly feels normal. I don't feel anything that would make me think an egg is stuck. She isn't tender when I poke and prod. She is my only bantam so it's clear she isn't laying since her eggs are tiny and a different color. There's no evidence that anyone is entering molt. No abundance of loose feathers. No one looking shabby. We had very cool weather for a few days but lately it's cool at night 70s to high 80s daytime. Am I missing something?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

She might have been working towards being broody but being a new layer you were able to break her easily. Give it a week, see if she doesn't start laying again.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Thanks robin. Hope Thats all it is!


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Robin a day or 2 after this conversation, she laid. The egg was twice the size she would normally lay and had a smear of blood on it. She has laid once since then. Also larger than normal.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

For new layers they will lay smaller eggs until their bodies get in to the swing of things. If she doesn't seem to have any issues I would just pay attention to the pattern of her egg laying. If she's also from a breeder, they can be a bit wonky compared to hatchery birds when it comes to laying every day.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

She's a hatchery bird, but we have her for showing. She's not expected to really lay for us either. My only concern was health. I know a lot of my birds are still laying small eggs compared to what they are "supposed" to lay by their breed.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

First week of sept. My girls went from 8-9 eggs/day, even with 2 being broody down to 5/day. Isn't it a lil early for them to slow down for winter? I 11 girls laying age but 1 is still raising chicks. Not sure if she is laying or not.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They might be going in to a molt. It's the most popular time of year for it to happen. Most of mine did it in the Spring. Not all birds drop a ton of feathers at one time, it will be a feather here, a feather there. My Hamburg sisters are like that. If it wasn't for a strategic tail feather missing I would never know they were molting. 

Our days are shorter and they might be responding to that but I kind of doubt it.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

I have noticed that my araucauna roo is dropping feathers. Quite a few actually. I got him from a byc member whose other roos were bullying this one. He has tons of broken and missing feathers. Happy to see him molt! So far I haven't noticed anyone else. Not to say it's not happening. Its just not noticeable yet.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

I have found that some chickens molt in an almost unnoticeable way... And other loose their feathers in patches and look truly mangy.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

When I first began raising Silkies, I thought something had gotten my coop one afternoon. In the morning open up, everything was fine. Went in in the afternoon and it looked like a bird had exploded there were so many feathers. It looked like someone had opened up a pillow all over the floor.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Lol! That had to be terrifying! I did notice that my lil silky/auraucauna mix has been regrowing some feathers that were already missing when I got her. I swear those 3 chickens have improved so much since I got them. They were rough. Just hadn't had the best start in life.


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## rosco47 (Jul 6, 2015)

mine did that last year. bought them in the spring. started laying good late summer. fall hit and they all started molting and production went down about 50%...


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Well, clearly they all missed the not-so-fine print that said I'll take the eggs off their rent but the remainder may be paid in breasts and thighs. Lol they won't stop completely during molt will they?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

More than likely, yes they will. It takes a lot of energy to replace dropped feathers.


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## rosco47 (Jul 6, 2015)

you MAY get an egg every week or two...MAYBE. depends on age of bird, diet, etc
i had 8 hens and they never all molted at the same time so that was my saving grace.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Ugh. Somebody better keep laying lol


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

All mine are done. Molt plus cold weather with no light. Poof done. Freeloaders!


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Mmmmm. Fried chicken! Lol


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Think the bantam was just teasing me with those 2 eggs. Nothing since.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Watch her. I would look to see if you find a quill here or there. 

When they are young like this even the shorter days or Winter don't seem to affect them much. And being bantams for some reason they seem to not be affected as much by the shorter days.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

I have been. Thanks


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

I'm pretty sure they're all screwin with me. 7 eggs today instead of the 4 or 5 I've been getting and one of those was a tiny bantam egg. Lol


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

All of a sudden they are laying like crazy. Cold as heck this week. So now I'm thinking...

1. I quit fermenting their feed a few weeks ago. (it kept going bad and smelling like alcohol really strong)

2. I changed them back from layer feed to all flock. It wasn't good for the boys and I caught the chicks eating what was dropped in the ground. I had only started using it because a few of my new layers had been giving me soft eggs. But that's sorted out now.

3. Pretty much all the girls have figured out how to get to the medicated chick starter. They aren't eating only starter, but it is slightly higher protein than the other feeds. 

4. On particularly cold nights, I've been giving them scratch an hour or two before dark. 

Don't get me wrong! I'm perfectly happy to get 9 eggs today out of 11 girls but I'm curious as to what I may have done to cause it. I don't want to screw up again.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

I would guess the higher protein that they have been getting helped up their laying.....

Also, have they finished molting? 

I am still getting WAY too close to nada... Of course it doesn't matter since I am putting all eggs in the trash (lice treatment), but I wish the girls would stop molting.

I have mine on a 20% layer


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Other than the auracauna roo, I haven't definitively determined whether anyone else is molting. I'm not really seeing any evidence. I don't see many feathers loose, and the ones I do see appear to be from the roo. 

I think my current feed is 18%. The chick feed is 20%. I think I will check around to see if I can find an affordable, higher protein option. I originally thought feather fixer, but when I looked at the label, it's no more protein than the all flock. There aren't many options at rural king. I may stop by tsc to see what they offer. 

Would it hurt to maybe mix the all flock with some unmedicated chick starter?


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

Unmedicated chick starter is great if they are molting.. Or every so often if the weather is really cold.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

Ok. Thanks. I'll see if I can find higher protein all flock type feed. If not I'll pick up some chick starter to supplement with. Chicks only have a day's worth left anyway.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

I found better options at tsc than I was getting at rural king. I'm now feeding 20% protein flock raiser and the chicks get 20% protein non medicated starter. I normally give them medicated ( I know a lot of people believe medicated starter is the root of all evil, but I read all I could and made a personal decision. ) Unfortunately, this particular started was only available in non medicated. 

I still had some 18% all flock, so I'm mixing it with the 20% now.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I found meat bird crumbles that are 22% protein Some of my girls are in deep molt and are pretty naked plus not laying well. I also had some layer pellets 18% protein that I put in a separate pan with a little water to soften and they cleaned it up!


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

The only one I can tell is actively molting is still the auracauna boy. Since everyone else looks good, I hated to go overboard with protein. I've heard that can be bad too. I don't know how reliable the source was. I would agree that if "most" showed signs of aggressive molting the meat bird crumble would be a great solution.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

*Deleting. Posted on wrong thread*

I'll repost on my fat thread!


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## ladynblkus (Aug 17, 2012)

I want to know how old a hen is that doesn't lay anymore.....how can you tell? by there
waddles? or what =)
Jeanie


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

I have young girls, so I'm not experienced in this. I'm sure someone with more experience will stop by. 

I have read that their vent will be dry and tight, their combs and wattles may not be so vibrant anymore. There are other signs that I don't remember.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

^^^^^ that.
Vent will be dry and tight, comb and wattles will be shrunken and pale. There is also the measurement between the pelvic bones, but where as chickens come in so many different sizes, it's hard to 'follow' that rule.


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