10 month old hens haven't laid an egg

[animallover1000]

okay so I have 14 10 month old hens and they haven't laid and egg yet. I have lost 2 to a possum so i suppose that could be a problem but idk it is kind of chilly but not that much. I do have a laying feed and yes a light in their house. They might have mites or they are molting.... Any suggestions?

 

[animallover1000]

Oh and they're australops, orpingtons, reds(rhode island and new hampshire), (red and leghorn mixes)

 

[shober]

It could be the cold? Where are you? Also the shock of the possum. That happened to my girls! Are they doing the "squat"? That is usually a good indicator.

 

[animallover1000]

On the Texas Coast and yes they are squating ocasionally. The lowest it's gotten this week at night is in the 30's farenhieght (pretty sure I spelled it wrong)

 

[Kelsie2290]

X2, stress will stop/slow down laying, are you sure they are not hiding the eggs, or that something is not eating them (more possums?). Is the light you have in the coop strong or bright enough? If they have mites/lice that stress added to the cold weather could make them slow to lay, would think they are young for the lot of them to be molting unless they were sick or something?

 

[micah O]

X2, stress will stop/slow down laying, are you sure they are not hiding the eggs, or that something is not eating them (more possums?). Is the light you have in the coop strong or bright enough? If they have mites/lice that stress added to the cold weather could make them slow to lay, would think they are young for the lot of them to be molting unless they were sick or something?

X2