My 7 Month Old Chookie Has Stopped Laying

Elle Jay · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:34 pm

I have a 7 month old layer called Pikelet (probably a leghorn cross, she is white with a few black feathers), who has being laying for 5 weeks. She has been laying an egg every day, except for 3 or 4 occasions where she has missed one day. She has now missed 3 days running, and I am worried that something might be wrong. Earlier this year we lost a chookie who died suddenly; she seemed perfectly well but she had stopped laying a week earlier. I was told it was possibly due to an infected oviduct. I guess I am panicking a bit, I know they can go off the lay for many reasons, but I really don't want to lose this chookie! Is it likely that a young chook would go off the lay so soon after starting? Is there anything I should check for? I have checked the garden thoroughly in case she has decided to lay outside (they free range in the backyard during the day). Pikelet looks perfectly healthy and is behaving normally, eating and drinking normally. Any advice would be appreciated!

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Both my girls have been off lay since the boys have gone. Lady Frances is also in moult. It also has been very wet and cold and miserable.

Do you think she is egg bound or has egg peritonitis or a prolapse of the reproductive system? Do you have access to the "Search" function, search each of these and look for symptoms. What unsusal symptoms do you think Pikelet presents? More information is needed for some one to help you. Is her abdomen swollen? Is she walking funny? Are her poos unusual?

Elle Jay · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:15 pm

Thanks for replying Petite Poulet. Reading the symptoms of these three conditions, I am sure she doesn't have any of them. Apart from not laying, she is normal in every way. Her tail is up, walking and running normally, normal poos, abdomen looks and feels normal to me. The vent area also looks perfectly normal. Pikelet is such a cheeky, confident, friendly chookie, I am sure it would show if she was sick. She runs up to me whenever I go outside, and she loves perching on the chair out on the deck and watching me through the window (the deck has a low fence to keep the chooks off it, but she is still lightweight and can fly over the fence!). I did wonder if the cold weather might put her off the lay, but can't help worrying in case there is more to it. I think I am probably a bit paranoid because when Pancake died suddenly, she had no symptoms either except that she had stopped laying.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

That's OK, hope that Pikelet starts to lay again. Any thing upset her routine or frighten her recently?

Blak1 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:18 pm

One of my girls decided to start moulting yesterday, silly thing. It's freezing here! I have one laying intermittently, the others lay every second or third day.
See how they go with a can of cheap sardines as a treat and some berroca in their water.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

You can also get bird vitamins and probiotics and add it to their water or sprinkle some Chook Spice on warm mash for breakfast.
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=20295

Does she have any other chookie friends since Pancake went to Chookie Heaven?

Elle Jay · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:07 pm

Well, I decided to take Pikelet to the Bird Vet in Scoresby. It turns out she has coccidiosis! She had some diarrhoea, so the vet tested her poo, and found a coccidiosis egg! Pikelet didn't look sick at all, so the vet thinks her immune system is handling it pretty well, but she gave her some medicine (I think it's called Toluvet) and I have to dose her again tomorrow. We're giving it to Bookie Chook too in case she has it. The vet thinks the fact that Pikelet's not laying probably is not due to the coccidiosis, she's just gone off the lay because it's so cold. She isn't egg bound and had no laying problems. The vet wormed her too as I hadn't done it, and she said it was a good time to do it since we can't eat her eggs for a month anyway due to the medication. So I have instructions to do a really thorough clean of the chookhouse as soon as we get a fine day, I have to scrub everything with diluted bleach and let dry in the sun.

I might still try giving them both sardines and maybe some garlic would help. Petite Poulet, what is Chook Spice? Also what exactly is warm mash? I sometimes give them some porridge or even some vita brits with warm milk or soy milk.

Petite Poulet, thanks for remembering Pancake! Pikelet is Pancake's replacement, Book bullied her a bit at first, it's taken months and months, but they are now best buddies just like Pancake and Book were! Pikelet is a cheeky, outgoing friendly chookie and plucky too. Last week she chased off a crow that was trying to share some leftover beef casserole!

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

That's great to hear that Pikelet's ailment has been diagnosed and treated.

Chook Spices are

Hens and Hobbits wrote:

I've started to blend my own ingredients consisting of aniseed, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, and mustard powder minus minerals, micronised wheat and adding garlic powder.

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/poultry- ... ower-16187

I've been adding 1/4 teaspoon to their warm pollard and brand mash, the cat biscuit mash with added spices were left untouched though.

Aniseed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anise

Fenugreek
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenugreek

Garlic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

Ginger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger

Mustard Powder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_powder

Tumeric
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumeric

You can buy layers mash from Wagners and wet it, the porridge and Vita Brits are fine or you can make up your own mash from pollard and bran.

Mash thread
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=17292

Pollard and Bran thread
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=19723

If you add a teaspoon to pumpkin soup, it really tastes yummy too!

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

PS

It wouldn't harm to dust both girls with Pestene for any possible lice or mites now either, give them a thorough health treatment before Spring.

Blak1 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:45 pm

Glad to hear your girls are OK. :-D

For warm mash I put boiling water over a couple of weetbix, then cold milk and mix it all up so I end up with warm mush. Sometimes I will add cracked wheat and tinned corn, other times half a teaspoon of minced garlic as a general pick-me-up. I have also followed others' advice and started adding slightly crushed garlic cloves and a slosh of apple cider vinegar to the water. They really like berocca though - so funny.

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