laying or lair

You have helped me very much in one of my past questions. thank you very much. I know some hens lay better than others. We have 2 isbars, one is bluish black the other is a silver duckwing {Araucana} . According to the last owner they are over 8 months old. At the beginning in February of this year they laid each 2 eggs. Now it is April and nothing happened sense. Both are going thru the motion of egg laying every day, sometimes sitting on the nest 2 to 3 hours. But no results. The bluish black Isbar is the same one I had written about in my first thread. Eaten her eggs. All our other 8 chicken are doing well and giving us eggs daily. We are happy for any advise you could give us.

Some are poor layers. Otherwise you said the one was eating eggs, what have you done to correct that? Usually I advise upping the protein content in the ration to 18-20%, and always providing a separate bowl of oyster shells. If fed and housed correctly, all hens lay as much as they are physically and genetically able to.

We have 10 chickens-White Legbar Sport, Welsummer, Partridge (Plymouth) Rock, Australorp, 2 Production Reds, 2 Golden Comets and the 2 Isbars(bluish black & the silver duckwing rumples Araucana. It is the 2 Isbars that have not laid any eggs in two months. The Black Isbar has not eaten an egg since February and the Araucana rumples was dropping eggs with no shells during the night and we haven't seen any in 4 weeks. It just seems strange that it is the two Isbars that are not laying. We put fake eggs in the 6 nests to stop the egg eating and that seemed to have stopped her but then the Legbar started to put the eggs into one nest and wanted to brood so we took the fake eggs out.
All 10 chickens are free range on our 1 acre of land, they get plenty of protein, seem to be happy, beautiful California weather, A Coop that we call their castle, oyster shells, all the proper food and water. Treats of mealworms, live worms, nuts, oatmeal, cabbage, arugula, lettuce, etc. We have read almost every book that has been written and try and do all the right things but the Isbars are not laying. Each week we think maybe today??? Our question "Is non-laying a common trait of the Isbars?". Thanks

I don't know if it's a trait of that breed, I'm not familiar with them. Any breed like an aruacana is bred for egg color and they are often poor layers. I would assume both your isbar are related, which would make me think it's just genetic. I have had hens who barely lay anything, starting late, stopping early and often, and basically laying clutches, than taking breaks.

guenther hubert said:

.......All 10 chickens are free range on our 1 acre of land.......

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They may be laying out in the range area....I would confine them for a week or so before coming to any other conclusions.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.