A couple of my hens have yet to lay an egg???

I got baby chicks in May of 2015 and around Halloween my RIR starting laying eggs. Not long after that my EE and Wyandotte started laying. I have an Ancona and a Black Marans that have yet to start laying and wondering what is going on. A friend told me that because they would of started laying in the cold months they might wait til Spring. I live in Alabama and we didn't have a very cold winter and we have had high 60's and low 70's the past month. Just trying to figure out why these 2 aren't laying. Thanks!

Those two should have been laying by now. You're right to be concerned.

Some layers are more sensitive to proper diet than others. Are you certain these two are eating enough high quality feed and not just scratch and other treats?

Light can be an issue. How much natural light are they getting? The days are now long enough that most layers should be laying now here in the USA, but if they're cooped up without access to much outdoor light, it's possible they aren't yet getting enough to trigger hormones.

Those are the easiest things to look at. Also affecting laying are illness and parasites. Look these two over carefully. Are there any signs of mites around their vents? Have you noticed them being very skinny? Check their keel bones. Are they very sharp and protruding? They could have a load of worms. Check the poop and see if there are any wigglers. You may need to worm.

How are they behaving? Are they normally active? Good appetites? Or are they inactive and mute. Do they hang around the edges of the flock near a wall or fence with their tails held low? This behavior indicates sick chickens. Is their poop normal or watery and green?

If none of the above are responsible for them not laying, then they may be those rare hens who will never lay. I sincerely hope that's not the case, and you'll find some eggs soon from these two laggards.

My Ancona lasted late in the season and then started back up pretty quickly, they are a great laying breed. Marans are more for the egg color and don't always lay well. It is odd that two aren't laying. Are you sure they aren't laying somewhere else?

They get plenty of light and my boys let them out every afternoon when they get home from school. We have seen the Ancona in a nesting box a lot lately, but no eggs. The Marans we haven't seen her get in a nesting box much at all. They both seem healthy and haven't noticed anything that you have mentioned. I guess I will walk the fence and see if they are hiding eggs, but they are always with the other chickens and never off to themselves so I doubt I find anything. Thanks so much!

So 3 weeks ago we got rid of Jed and my hens became totally different. One of them went broody and will have chicks in about 5-6 days. The reds are laying like crazy and my EE is laying one day. My Black Marans and Ancona still are not laying eggs. My girls are all now in a fenced in area and I haven't found any hidden eggs. Cruella (my ancona) is getting her feather back where Jed was so forceful so I am hopeful that is a sign she will lay soon. My hubby is saying no eggs no stay.

Can you post a side view of your Ancona? Kinda looks like a rooster.

That's a man, baby.

I have wondered that to because of the tail feathers, but no other signs of male. Not the green tinted feathers or hackle feathers like the ancona roo I use to have. Plus she hasn't crowed on ever mated with the hens.

To me it looks in between, mine don't have that big of comb or earlobe, and I thought I saw saddle feathers on the first two photos, either something is wrong in him, or her development, or her ovary could be damaged, they only have one that will function as it is.

That's my though since it hasn't gone either way, it is probably why the rooster was bothering it, its comb isn't the bright red of a bird that healthy and functioning. I don't think you will see an egg and I'm curious if it will crow and develop more as a rooster now that the other one is gone.

So I put my Black Marans in the tractor alone and she is laying eggs, but they are not chocolate. She are a tad more reddish brown than my RIR. So that solves that problem. I took some good pictures of my ancona and sent them to Angie (aka my chicken lady) and she think its a girl. So I guess something is wrong with her since she has never laid an egg.

Thanks so much for you help guys!