My first 2 eggs 2 days ago now nothing

[Johnhutch]

Now I have what I believe to be a leghorn and she is over 23 weeks old an the only one capable of white eggs. My others who are also 23 weeks are a barred rock, Australorp and 3 RIR, which hopefully they will begin soon. Anyway I got 2 eggs Tuesday, I got them around noon an since then no more. Now she an another one are making this low growl noise but other than that nothing. I have put fake eggs in their box in case she's mad that I took her eggs but I don't know what could be wrong. I give them bread treats when I got out around noon and they play n sunbathe most of the day n they even got some foliage from a tree limb that had fallen n pluck the leaves off as if they were starving though they have food available 24 hrs a day. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hens first coming into lay will lay sporadically until their bodies fully mature, which can take a little time.

The growl, if it is in the nesting boxes, means they are preparing to lay. New laying hens will also go in and out of the boxes numerous times with nothing to show for it...sort of like false alarms before the baby comes.

They will settle into a routine soon. 23 weeks is still early for laying in this situation as they matured during darker days (being hatched in November?). The longer spring days have just arrived bringing enough daylight to trigger the pituitary gland to release hormones to stimulate follicle growth and laying.

You should soon have eggs regularly.

EDITED TO ADD: you should also look around for eggs outside the nest boxes in odd places. New pullets often lay in weird places, even with fake eggs in the nests. If that is the case, locking them in the coop for a couple of days until they get used to laying there will help.

LofMc

 

[Johnhutch]

Great info, thanks a bunch. Going to do that now, lock them in... . Hopefully they produce soon... Out of the 6 I have that are 23 weeks only the one has large red comb and wattle. The others barely show. Yes their birthday is Nov 2d...

 

[Johnhutch]

Still not one egg... 25 wks old Monday, combs n wattles bright red n very very nice size yet no one is thinking of laying squat.... All they worry about is treat time...

 

[Johnhutch]

Ok they are now 2 days shy from being 6 months old an I get one egg.... They go outside every day, I can't let the free range but I think I need to increase their area and lock them out the coop in the daytime...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Don't lock them out of the coop during the day if you want them to lay in the nest boxes.

 

[Johnhutch]

Well finally 3 of my girls are laying on a regular basis now the others need to get with the program before they become chicken soup...lol

 

[neecy911]

I'm in the same boat!
I have 4 ladies that are actually only 19 weeks old (according to farmer John who I got the chickens from), and two of them laid an egg each on Friday May 6th.

On Saturday May 7th I got one itty bitty little egg, and nothing since. I'm pretty bummed.

I'm wondering if I need to go put an egg in there or just wait it out.
Ughhh

 

[Johnhutch]

Well mine were doing great, an now I'm devastated as something has attacked my California whites, her feathers are all over the yard but no sign of her n no blood, just oodles n oodles of her feathers.... I'm bummed now... She was putting out xlarge eggs.