UPDATE!!!!!! Help 6 month old chickens and still no eggs!

[eventmerlin]

Hi all My friend told me about this forum and JUST IN TIME! I am so frustrated with my hens..... I got them last June and they are huge now and still no eggs. They never molted and I take GREAT care of them I think

They have a fenced in coop, nesting boxes, place to roost, 24/7 access to layer pellets, water and on most days they are free range. I have 3 Araucana mixes, 3 australorps, and 3 bantams. 2 of the Bantams are older and used to lay but now they've stopped. The others never even started!!! They all run around the yard and scratch the ground and chase each other and look generally happy! Can anyone think of what might be wrong? The only thing I can think of is that my dogs are in the fenced in yard near the coop and bark at the chickens sometimes, but I highly doubt the chickens care because when they are free range they seem to tease the dogs from the other side of the fence..... Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[chickenlady]

Not every chicken will lay by 6 months old. I have no idea where you live but light availability and temperature may be playing a part.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Hmm, mine were born in June and just started laying - are they getting 14-15 hours of light?? Did you get them young, or were they purchased as pullets - could they be older than you think, maybe too old to lay? Trying to help, but I can' think of anything, a more experienced BYC'er may have better advice

Welcome to BYC!!!

 

[ging3rhoffman]

My fall chickens didnt start laying until they were 7 months old. I
think the daylight and weather has alot to do with it and most
chickens stop laying for the winter. I have 23 hens and got 13 eggs
today. Dont worry they will lay soon. My austorlorps lay nice eggs
now and so do the EE's that i have so hang tight.

One thing...mine stay in until about 2 or 3 pm then they are allowed
out of their coop and run area. I dont want to have to go hunting for
eggs.

 

[muttly]

With short days ahead you might not see eggs till spring, but with some patience and advice you find here you'll be up to your ears with eggs!
good luck

 

[SC_Hugh]

Not to worry, but laying later is better than laying early as young birds can get egg bound.

Two of my three pullets are not laying yet at 7 months. My one good laying pullet is dropping an egg almost everyday

and zero from the other two

My friend made me laugh the other day saying my layer is a keeper and the other two are broilers

Way too soon for me to consider fried chicken, I will just have to wait and wait and wait. But next spring, I should have all hens on all cylinders...

--Hughster

 

[eventmerlin]

Phew I thought maybe my hubby was right and that instead of Turkey we should have chicken tomorrow! haha I love my chickens though! Do any of you have ducks? I also have 3 mallard hens and a drake and was wondering when they start laying. i know they will only lay in the spring time so i'm not worried about them.

Thank you all for your advice! My dad and I had chickens when I was a child and I remember frozen eggs throughout the winter

I live in Massachusetts...

 

[Sock Puppet]

Most of mine are slackers too... they were born in feb and march and still no eggs

but they are cochins. If I didnt like that breed so much

 

[rhoda_bruce]

oh yeah. A lot of us have a lot of things.....ducks, geese, quail, pheasants, guineas.....just go to 'index' and scroll down far and you will find sections on other birds besides chickens. I am all about back to basics and these folks on here are right up my alley. They can relate.

 

[cmom]

First I would like to say

Could they be laying somewhere that you don't know of since they free range? My birds even though the have several nest boxes prefer to lay in the same ones. Maybe your have birds have found a communal place to lay their eggs when they are free ranging.