My birds are not laying...

I have 3 barred rocks and 3 buff orpingtons and they have been laying since August. They are about 40 weeks.

I also have a pair of mottled houdan that are 38 weeks and she has not been laying at all. He has been breeding her for months, but I have not seen an egg anywhere. I even kept all of them in the coop for like 3 days (it was rainy) and still no egg from her. At 38 weeks she should be laying by now right? Would the rooster try to breed her even if she wasn't close to laying? He sticks with her (the other ladies won't let him get close to them).

I also have a pair of silkies that are 36 weeks and she too has not laid an egg. I had another silkie hen (she died ) and neither of them has laid an egg.

I have 9 guinea who are 32 weeks and none of them are laying.

Is it simply because of the winter or do you think they are hiding their eggs somewhere? I have checked all the places I could think they would be laying them. No one has disappeared for any length of time either. They all stay on the porch ( I will be glad when bugs are out again and they will forage more). I really do not think that they are laying somewhere else. There are plenty of nest boxes (the silkies used to sleep in the nest box, they won't roost even though a low roost is provided). If they don't start laying by spring they are either going on the dinner table or on down the road.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I would really like to incubate some Houdan eggs if I can get her laying. How long does it usually take these birds to start laying.

I have never owned a houdan so I don't know what the expected starting date is, most ornamental breeds like that and the silkies can take up to 8-10 months to lay, and when maturing at this time of year I always add a month to expected dates. I also keep my younger birds on grower for longer than most so they have enough protein to continue to grow and mature, go through baby molts and then start laying, if you feed layer and any extra stuff they don't get enough protein. Always provide oyster shells free choice in a separate bowl.

Your rooster is probably favoring the bottom pecking order hen, roosters often do this because they can mate easier, the hen does it for the protection. It's also possible your eggs are being eaten so check for dried yolk or crushed shells in the nestboxes.

Make sure they are getting enough protein. Otherwise I think you will see them to start laying by February or March.

oldhenlikesdogs said:

I have never owned a houdan so I don't know what the expected starting date is, most ornamental breeds like that and the silkies can take up to 8-10 months to lay, and when maturing at this time of year I always add a month to expected dates. I also keep my younger birds on grower for longer than most so they have enough protein to continue to grow and mature, go through baby molts and then start laying, if you feed layer and any extra stuff they don't get enough protein. Always provide oyster shells free choice in a separate bowl.

Your rooster is probably favoring the bottom pecking order hen, roosters often do this because they can mate easier, the hen does it for the protection. It's also possible your eggs are being eaten so check for dried yolk or crushed shells in the nestboxes.

Make sure they are getting enough protein. Otherwise I think you will see them to start laying by February or March.

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I do check for anyone eating eggs and I'm pretty sure that's not happening. I don't know if the rooster sticks by her bc she is low man (she's above the silkies) or bc they were in the broker together. Each set I have that was in the brooder together tends to stick together. The BR and BO were together and they hang together, same with the silkies same with the guinea same with the houdan and same with the silkie and EE I had. I do have them all on layer feed hoping that will help get them to start but if grower would be better that works since I have 2 dzn eggs in the incubator right now. It will be easier to feed everyone chick feed.
They have oyster shells in a feeder as well. They free range everyday too. I don't have the heart to keep them pinned up of they want to be out.

You are correct that brooder mates stick together, as the rooster gets older he will pay more attention to the others. Layer feed doesn't help them lay technically, it has all the nutrients and calories to support a laying hen, and keep her from getting fat, if that's all she eats. Most chickens continue to grow and fill out for up to two years for some larger breeds, so I like to keep protein up if I want eggs, sometimes I use scratch to cut protein levels to slow down the beginning of laying, so putting them on later too soon could be enough to keep them from starting.