# Quit laying eggs



## willyronis (Jul 30, 2005)

I have a mated pair of 2005 Birmingham rollers. They produced many young in the last year but have not produced a single baby this year. They will build a nest and protect it, but will not lay eggs. I have seen them mate but they just will not produce eggs. They go thru the mating ritual but NO EGGS. WHY?????
All of my other breeders are on there second set of eggs. All of my breeders are 2005 birds. All of the birds are mated, so I don't think that there is any pressure from any of the other birds. The pair has produced some of my best rollers, so it is kinda frustrating not having them raising babies.

Please help.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

If someone is willing and able to provide the answer to this question, I know that I would very much like some input on this also. I have had hens do this, and when I ask, I sort of get a little defensive, because other fanciers often insist it is due to poor care. I am not convinced that it was due to negligence on my part. 

Very, very good question, thank you.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I think you have a genetic anomaly .. the hen has only so many eggs to be laid in her lifetime .. looks like she has run out of eggs. Sort of like some human women going through menopause at an early age and others much later.

Terry


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I agree with Terry........some hens just quit laying at an early age. If it's only one hen, then Warren, what you said does not apply I don't think. If ALL or MOST of your hens quit laying, then you've got a possible problem and their care DOES need a serious "look"..........I've got a 2002 hen that lays year round. Either she is mated to a hen or to her mate during breeding season. She shows no signs of slowing down.  I just separated her from her mate about two weeks ago. She's in the floor, in the corner of the hens loft sitting on 4 eggs.  Got another hen, a 2004 that laid 1 egg, three times. I think she's about to give out on me. Just one of those things that life throws at you sometimes. One thing for sure.........you can't MAKE this hen lay an egg. If she's that good, you should put back some of her offspring and call it a day. She can still be used as a foster mom. If you want her to raise babies, slip a couple of dummy eggs under her when another pair lays. Then once you know the eggs are fertile, give them to her and let the donor pair lay another set. Your "eggless" hen will never know the difference and will raise the babies just fine and be happy to do so.


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

Well, normally hens take a break after couple of clutches. Usually once every few years they will do about 6 months or less with no eggs but they usually will resume. Try changing the partner. it might give them more vigor


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I don't think nutrition has anything to with it (not in this type of case)when the bird is healthy and older and has no symptoms. I think it also genetic. I have a hen who quit laying and she is one who has had lots of babies, I think they are pre-disposed to have a limited supply of eggs, and once they reach their God given number, that's it.

Archamedes is a feisty aggressive little hen who is 7 years old now, but looks almost exacly like when she was young. Her and her hubby Ken, still mate but nothing results of it, he has actually become more accepting of it too, and doesn't constantly drive her to the nest anymore, she hasn't laid in months and I guess he realizes it now.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Lovebirds said:


> I agree with Terry........some hens just quit laying at an early age. If it's only one hen, then Warren, what you said does not apply I don't think. If ALL or MOST of your hens quit laying, then you've got a possible problem and their care DOES need a serious "look"..........I've got a 2002 hen that lays year round. Either she is mated to a hen or to her mate during breeding season. She shows no signs of slowing down.  I just separated her from her mate about two weeks ago. She's in the floor, in the corner of the hens loft sitting on 4 eggs.  Got another hen, a 2004 that laid 1 egg, three times. I think she's about to give out on me. Just one of those things that life throws at you sometimes. One thing for sure.........you can't MAKE this hen lay an egg. If she's that good, you should put back some of her offspring and call it a day. She can still be used as a foster mom. If you want her to raise babies, slip a couple of dummy eggs under her when another pair lays. Then once you know the eggs are fertile, give them to her and let the donor pair lay another set. Your "eggless" hen will never know the difference and will raise the babies just fine and be happy to do so.


Renee,

Problem is only with one particular 2002 hen, which I have had since 2002, and she has never been a particularly great egg layer. You are correct, if it was a whole bunch of hens, then logic would dictate that something is wrong with program. I just was not emotionaly ready to accept that at the ripe old age of six, that she was done for. It is possible, but then such a weakness, is not one that I would want to reproduce. 

I should have known that something genectic could be at play here, since she was slow to lay last year, and needed a set of foster eggs to prime the pump so to speak. This year, we did the same thing...and then nothing. This could mean that everyone of her offspring, should also be removed from the loft, as who wants this kind of trait in a family tree ?


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## willyronis (Jul 30, 2005)

*Great info*

Thanks for all the great information.
I guess I will bust them up and try placing the cock with another hen. 
Thanks again for the great feedback.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

I think it must be genetic. Our Frosty, who recently died from cancer, stopped laying after about 3 years. Her daughter, ******, may have laid 2-3 eggs in the 5 years we've had her but that was within about the first 2 years. She has not laid any in a long, long time even though she and her mate, Ken, regularly mate and sit an empty nest.

We have wondered if Frosty's tumor may have contributed to her barrenness and worry that ****** may be predisposed to a tumor also.


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## willyronis (Jul 30, 2005)

*quit laying eggs*

Well the saga continues.
I have paired the cock with another hen and still the same results.
They went through the mating ritual, bred and still no eggs.
Should I assume that it is the male that is the problem?
Should I abandon the male and try to totally different birds?
All other mated pairs are still setting on there eggs and feeding the babies that are roaming the coop floor.
None of the birds show ant signs of illness.
HELP
More info:
I have three other pairs in with the non producing pair.
All pairs have at least two or more nest boxes available to use. The three mated pair are rotating nest boxes between babies and there are three or more nest available for the pair that is having problems.
The problem pair has built a nest and do protect it from intruders but still NO EGGS!!!!!!!!!!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Willy, you posted about the first pair on March 30th. Today is April 5th. If you broke up the first pair and re-paired the cock on March 30th, that's only 6 days. Give the birds a chance before you go re-mating them again. The cock has nothing to do with the hen not laying eggs. If they are "in love" and mate, she will lay eggs, if she can. If a hen doesn't lay, it's on the hen. If the hen lays but the eggs are no good, that's on the cock. I'd say, give em' some more time.


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

I have a suggestion which I have treied and worked. If your birds are in a loft try moving them to a seperate private cage and vice versa. you might have some success. I have noticed that some just need a change.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

warriec said:


> I have a suggestion which I have treied and worked. If your birds are in a loft try moving them to a seperate private cage and vice versa. you might have some success. I have noticed that some just need a change.


That may work if she doesn't lay eggs in the next week or two, but 6 days is not long enough for them to be together and expect to lay eggs. Most birds that are a regularly mated pair will not lay before 8 to 10 days. This is a new pair, so you have to give them some time.


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

Since they are a mated pair they need to be comfortable to do it. I have noticed that my italian owls dont lay when they are in a seperate cage but in a loft they do. 1 pair of my german beauties dont lay in the loft but in a seperate cage. I still have not found the formula right for them as the eggs are not fertile in the last 2 batches.


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## X3MTM (Apr 18, 2006)

even dou im not an expert at this and have no saying over this matter...i just wanna thank you people for putting questions to like this one and answering it.....it teaches us "beginners" like me on what to do when something like that happens.....now i know that hens need some rest between egglaying among other things i found on this site.....thanks once again...


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## willyronis (Jul 30, 2005)

*Problem solved*

There was an egg this morning.
Thanks for all the help.
It is nice to have a place to go when you need help. kudos
I will take this as a learning experience.
willyronis


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

willyronis said:


> There was an egg this morning.
> Thanks for all the help.
> It is nice to have a place to go when you need help. kudos
> I will take this as a learning experience.
> willyronis


Congratulations!! Glad it worked out without having to go through any major changes.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Glad your little hen has laid an egg. Sometimes the best medicine is tincture of time.


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

So which method did you use to breed them? we would love to know.


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## willyronis (Jul 30, 2005)

*Problem solved by........*

The method I used was to bust the mated pair nad replaced the hen with another unmated hen.
It took about a week and a half before they were paired up and setting on an egg.
I never thought that a bird would just quit laying. Especially at such a young age. Oh well that seems to be what the problem was. I will take this information and learn from it.

I just hated that it was one of my best pair of rollers. Produced some good off spring. I am keeping back a few of them to keep the bloodline going.

Thanks again everyone,
willyronis


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## Buttons (Apr 7, 2007)

Hi everyone!!!

I haven't been here for awhile, but youre the only community I trust with answering my questions and concerns about my "children." I BELEIVE that I had 2 hens...they were sisters. I never actually saw the eggs being laid, but there were usually 3-4 EVERY few weeks like clockwork...they would both make nests...one was much more skilled at the nest making etc...I lost one of my hens (the expert nest maker) to an open door...she still comes here twice a day with her husband for food, but they won't come inside. I'm devastated, but am so happy to see her and hubby twice a day! Since then there has been no more egg layings by her "sister"...it has been 21/2 months since Lola has been without her sister and hasn't laid an egg. 
Lola is perfectly fine health wise it seems. She clings to me all day and calls for me if I'm out of her sight. She's happy and has a GREAT appetite! She lives indoors (in our house)with us and her biological father Plucky Luciano. They are loving pets and family members. We love them both to tears...I'm worried about Lola's non-egg laying. Their vet is Doctor Keleher in Ft. Lauderdale...she told me that their diet is immpecable (only the best for them!). Lola is not quite 2 years old. Please help me. Thank you!


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Buttons said:


> Hi everyone!!!
> 
> I haven't been here for awhile, but youre the only community I trust with answering my questions and concerns about my "children." I BELEIVE that I had 2 hens...they were sisters. I never actually saw the eggs being laid, but there were usually 3-4 EVERY few weeks like clockwork...they would both make nests...one was much more skilled at the nest making etc...I lost one of my hens (the expert nest maker) to an open door...she still comes here twice a day with her husband for food, but they won't come inside. I'm devastated, but am so happy to see her and hubby twice a day! Since then there has been no more egg layings by her "sister"...it has been 21/2 months since Lola has been without her sister and hasn't laid an egg.
> Lola is perfectly fine health wise it seems. She clings to me all day and calls for me if I'm out of her sight. She's happy and has a GREAT appetite! She lives indoors (in our house)with us and her biological father Plucky Luciano. They are loving pets and family members. We love them both to tears...I'm worried about Lola's non-egg laying. Their vet is Doctor Keleher in Ft. Lauderdale...she told me that their diet is immpecable (only the best for them!). Lola is not quite 2 years old. Please help me. Thank you!


This really isn't a bad thing. You don't really want them laying constantly. At least I don't. The process of producing and laying eggs is not an easy one and if you take the eggs immediately or they are not allowed to raise the young they are going to do this about every other week. This will take a great deal out of them. If you don't want young, the next time she does lay, replace the eggs with dummy eggs and let her sit them until she gives them up. This will mean she is laying about once every month instead of every other week. 

It is natural for them to go into a cycle where they won't lay for a portion of the year. This is their time to recuperate. Let them rest, they need it.

Hope this helps,

Dan


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Lola may not lay unless she is pair bonded - either to another pigeon or possibly to a person. Sounds like you are giving her excellent care!


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