10 month old cream legbar not laying?!

I have a cream legbar hen that I got from Greenfire farm as a day old chick in September. She is an absolute doll with a wonderful personality, but I haven't gotten A SINGLE egg from her yet!! She is just shy of ten months old. What gives??? Anyone else have a CCL hen not lay until this late?

She has been fully developed (red comb etc) since early March. She is low on the pecking order, but still gets plenty to eat. I feed organic layer crumbles, free choice oyster, and they free range for 1-2 hours every day. I've checked her over and haven't seen any bugs or health issues. She's quite healthy it seems.

Thoughts? Am I alone here??

Well, she's definitely a hen. How do you know she's not laying? Not getting any blue or green eggs? Her nice red comb and wattles suggests she's come into lay, so if she's not laying that is very odd.

Pyxis, I have a small flock (7 hens) and I know exactly which hen lays which eggs. This gal hasn't laid any, and hasn't been spending any time in the nesting box. I am totally perplexed...

You said you let them free range. Could she have a hidden nest somewhere? She might be laying while out ranging.

I had a CL who began laying quite late - 3 months after her sisters - but she was visibly late to sexually mature - pale, small comb, etc. Yours is clearly sexually mature. I agree about a hidden nest - CLs are very independent and love to forage. I'd check around for a hidden clutch. Also, it looks like her legs and beak have paled - is that correct? If so that means those nutients have come out of her body and gone into eggs. You could also take her off the roost and check her vent to see if it looks like an actively laying vent - you can do a search here for pictures.

Check her vent and pelvic points.

Vent:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying

Pelvic Points 2 bony points(pelvic bones) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.

If these signs show she may be laying, I'd 'coop her up' for a few days to a week.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I only free range them for 1-2 hours in the evening after everyone has laid, and on nasty days they don't go out. I'm 100% sure she does not have a hidden nest.

I have one lovely ameracauna that lays blue eggs, and I get one blue egg almost every day- but never two!!

The only possible explanation is that my CCL is not laying eggs. The ameracauna was laying before the CCL matured, so I know that they are her eggs, but I did try to check vents to see how it was done, based on your suggestions...

The CCL's vent was medium size in comparison to known layers and known non-layers. It was much larger than my 4 month old pullet who is too young to lay, but not nearly as large as my very productive buff Orpington.

Her comb and wattles are bright red. I looked her over very, very closely just now and could not find any hint of illness or infestation. I checked all around her vent and under her wing as well.

I attached photos of her face, vent, and between her feathers adjacent to her vent... Maybe you guys will see something I didn't!!!

How long has she been that red?
Did you find the pelvic points? Tho that tight, dry vent pretty much tells the tale.
Great pics BTW, nice job.

Aart, she has been red like that since early March. I am at a loss... She is the lowest in the pecking order other than the two young pullets, but she isn't harassed and there's plenty of food to go around.

I am a petite female and I could just barely fit my index and middle finger between her pelvic bones.

Glad the pics helped... I wasn't real sure what the vent should look like for a layer. BTW holding a chicken, separating feathers and taking a pic is really hard with only two hands!!

brit01 said:

Aart, she has been red like that since early March. I am at a loss... She is the lowest in the pecking order other than the two young pullets, but she isn't harassed and there's plenty of food to go around.

I am a petite female and I could just barely fit my index and middle finger between her pelvic bones.

Glad the pics helped... I wasn't real sure what the vent should look like for a layer. BTW holding a chicken, separating feathers and taking a pic is really hard with only two hands!!

Click to expand...

I do indeed know that.

Ya know, some birds are just 'lemons'......as to why she's so red and not laying<shrugs> who knows, somethings not wired or plumbed right inside.