Why Aren't My Chickens Laying? Here Are Your Answers!

[halo]

Also, hens can get in the bad habit of eating eggs, so you have to rule that out if you are seeing low production.

I have found, with hatching my own birds, that if they hatch from April to August, you wont see as much production right off the bat as if they were hatched in Dec- March. The reason, I think, is because chicks hatched later in the spring are reaching laying age when the days are getting the shortest. Pullets hatched earlier in the year reach laying age when the days are still long, and seem to lay much better. They all seem to catch up the following year.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, they can eat them or they can lay outside the coop somewhere, but that would mean they are laying, but you're just not finding them. Mine have free ranged all their lives and never have laid outside the coops-they run home to lay then go out again. The only time in five years that one has ever laid an egg outside the coop was when the door blew shut and I didn't realize it. Found five eggs on the straw bales under the coop with Violet sitting on them laying hers, LOL.

 

[Ema]

since I registered I have been waiting to see who would be the first to request or post a sticky on this topic....lol....I have seen this question asked sometimes a few times per day. It is definitely a good topic to have as a sticky.

Ema

 

[ryanhodapp]

My girls are starting to get the idea. my Black sex link did start laying at about the 26 week point. MY 2 EE's that were born April 25 are just thinking about it. One started last week and the other was "nesting" today.

I have two frizzles, probably born in May and nothing yet.

Then there is Brownie. The Queen hen, a RIR that I got at feed store before Easter. Nothing from her. Not even playing in the nest. Nada. Just sits on the perch while the other 3 are trying to figure it all out.
She is my favorite, but waiting is so hard.................

I also had 2 BO. one started laying and then about a week later, she got scared and flew into the neighbors yard. She turned into dog food. (this was about 6 weeks ago.)
My other BO started laying 3 weeks ago and we found her dead in the yard last Friday. I dont know what got her.

So now I am paranoid that something is will happen to my EE's. I want to keep them locked up but that will not make happy hens.
After the BO died, I tried to just keep them in the coop and run and not have the whole back yard. She went on strike!

So I guess a happy hen is better than not.

 

[ausername]

Hey everyone

I have 5 chickens. Three brown hens, one Buff Brahma, and a Welsummer.

The Buff is around 8 months old and the Welsummer is just over a year, I think... if the lady I bought them off is right about the ages she told me.

Anyway, neither has started laying eggs. Does anyone know when these breeds start laying? I've read through this forum, but still don't have a clear idea when I might expect eggs from these two, especially the Welsummer since she's over a year old already.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Here's Goldie Hawn (Buff) and Big Bird (Welsummer).

 

[speckledhen]

Brahmas generally lay late, around 30-35 weeks, though one of mine did lay at 19 weeks. Your Brahma isn't late for her breed. The Welsummer doesn't look that old to me--her comb is really tiny.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree with Speckled. Your brahma pullet looks like she has a ways to go yet before she starts laying.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
But, but... I keep stuffing dollar bills down their gullets every day. (Happy Thanksgiving Cynthia!)

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
But, but... I keep stuffing dollar bills down their gullets every day. (Happy Thanksgiving Cynthia!)

Seems like it, doesn't it? LOL. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Laura.

 

[nursechic]

I think November has been a weird month weather wise for my girls. One day hot, one day freezing ...and we were down to only a couple eggs a day from 10 tens. But now they have started laying again consistantly. I am getting six a day almost every day. One thing that I think may have helped is that their laying boxes are metal and the bottom two boxes were close to the ground. With cooler weather here, I moved them up until the boxes were about 2 feet off the ground and presto...eggs again. So the weather may have affected their moods. They also have their red heat lamp in their hen house on at night and maybe that changed the length of their "daylight" hours.