19 and a half weeks old and still no eggs :( egg countdown anyone??

[blondiebee181]

Have you tried checking their vents? The difference between a laying hen's vent and a non-laying hen's vent is big. A non-layer will be quite small, dry, and almost puckered; basically no different than a chick's vent. A laying hen's vent will be much wider and more open, and very moist or even wet/drippy. You can definitely tell who is laying by this method. Also, chickens have 2 bones on either side of their vent area; if you hold your chicken from below and slide your fingers back until you feel those bones, see how many fingers you can comfortably rest in between them (on the outside of the chicken of course, do not stick your fingers in their vents). If it's just 1-2 fingers wide they are likely not ready to lay; if you can fit 2-4 fingers between those bones GENTLY, they've probably passed eggs already, or are getting close. HTH!
One thing I get from reading your post is that your chickens may actually be TOO spoiled, unfortunately. We all like to spoil our chookies, but mine were infinitely healthier and started laying quickly when I stopped giving them so many kitchen scraps/treats and kept them solely on their feed and free range. I highly recommend removing all treats (with the exception of a small handful of mealworms each day, maybe) and upping their protein. My 9 big girls all started laying between 19.5-23 weeks, very shortly after I upped their protein and stopped treats. HTH!

Hmmm...everything I've heard about treating is that treats are great as long as they are the right kind. Green scraps and fruit scraps and nuts/seeds, fully cooked beans mealworms cheerios and catfood are all good treats and can even benefit layers if there is natural calcium present like yogurt and extra protien like catfood and worms. Corn, rice, cooked potatoes, starches and oils or salty things like chips are the ones you want to stay away from. The ducks love cheerios and mealworms in milk. Dabbling for their food is their favorite way to eat.

 

[zooweemama]

What kind of chickens do you have?

I have mostly Buff Orpingtons and some French Black Copper Marans. I have 2 Easter Eggers and recently picked up a pair of laced Wyandottes (in quarantine still). The EEs are the only hatchery chickens we have. Four of my BOs are 24 weeks old - the rest are young yet (15 and 13 weeks).

 

[zooweemama]

Hmmm...everything I've heard about treating is that treats are great as long as they are the right kind. Green scraps and fruit scraps and nuts/seeds, fully cooked beans mealworms cheerios and catfood are all good treats and can even benefit layers if there is natural calcium present like yogurt and extra protien like catfood and worms. Corn, rice, cooked potatoes, starches and oils or salty things like chips are the ones you want to stay away from. The ducks love cheerios and mealworms in milk. Dabbling for their food is their favorite way to eat.

My chickens get almost only produce. Every now and then a plain yogurt snack (like a handful of times in the past 3 months tops lol). They got pasta (macaroni salad that had peppers, celery, pasta and egg) earlier this week and that is probably their first 'junk' snack they've ever had. It was fun watching them pick out the peppers...then the celery...then the egg...last some of the pasta. Since there are 25 of them- I cannot afford to go crazy. They get our healthy scraps- not our leftover mashed potatoes or cookies (should we have them in the house lol). That macaroni salad was like the first time I had given them something that was not produce based. Sometimes I buy little watermelons and cut them in half and set them out there and they LOVE that! It gets over 100 degrees here so that was a fun way to keep them hydrated.

 

[zooweemama]

Make sure that if they are on Flock Raiser that you are supplementing everyone with oyster shells too for calcium. My chicks and ducks are on Raiser too and the ducks don't touch the calcium yet. When they are older I'll probably transfer everybody back to half and half layer and Raiser for the winter.

My ducks are laying and I just mix the oyster shell in. Otherwise the ducks completely ignore the stuff. The chickens have it offered 'on the side'.

 

[blondiebee181]

I have mostly Buff Orpingtons and some French Black Copper Marans. I have 2 Easter Eggers and recently picked up a pair of laced Wyandottes (in quarantine still). The EEs are the only hatchery chickens we have. Four of my BOs are 24 weeks old - the rest are young yet (15 and 13 weeks).

None have layed yet? Not too surprising mostly what I hear about those breeds is that they are late bloomers, especially the Marans. You will have beautiful dark chocolate colored eggs to look forward to from them though!

 

[Chica Lady]

Have you tried checking their vents? The difference between a laying hen's vent and a non-laying hen's vent is big. A non-layer will be quite small, dry, and almost puckered; basically no different than a chick's vent. A laying hen's vent will be much wider and more open, and very moist or even wet/drippy. You can definitely tell who is laying by this method. Also, chickens have 2 bones on either side of their vent area; if you hold your chicken from below and slide your fingers back until you feel those bones, see how many fingers you can comfortably rest in between them (on the outside of the chicken of course, do not stick your fingers in their vents). If it's just 1-2 fingers wide they are likely not ready to lay; if you can fit 2-4 fingers between those bones GENTLY, they've probably passed eggs already, or are getting close. HTH!
One thing I get from reading your post is that your chickens may actually be TOO spoiled, unfortunately. We all like to spoil our chookies, but mine were infinitely healthier and started laying quickly when I stopped giving them so many kitchen scraps/treats and kept them solely on their feed and free range. I highly recommend removing all treats (with the exception of a small handful of mealworms each day, maybe) and upping their protein. My 9 big girls all started laying between 19.5-23 weeks, very shortly after I upped their protein and stopped treats. HTH!

That "Goodness" part was not me. I still dont know why mine arent laying. I dont feed them junk food. they do get kitchen scraps, but that is only occasionally (prob about 1 a week or so).

 

[zooweemama]

None have layed yet? Not too surprising mostly what I hear about those breeds is that they are late bloomers, especially the Marans. You will have beautiful dark chocolate colored eggs to look forward to from them though!

I love my Orpie girls! They are big and fluffy - I adore watching them run. I also love my Marans roosters. They let you hold them, snuggle...really nice guys. My 6 year old loves to go out and catch our 2 top roos (Samson and Copper) BCMs. The Orps are really stand offish and our oldest Orp roo (Joe) is a hands off kinda guy too. Because of their age- I am guessing we might not see most of them lay until start of 2013. At least my ducks are laying.

I bought 10 BCM chicks...and only scored TWO pullets from that set! Two! LOL We are keeping 2 of the males (we are sweet on them) unless they prove to be aggressive later then we will re-home whom we need to then.

I bought 12 Buff Orp chicks and ended up with what looks like 4-5 dudes the rest are all ladies. Not bad on the Orps!

The EEs are for fun. We love them!

The bantam laced wyandottes were a CL find from a local reputable breeder and they were SO pretty I couldn't help myself. I now try to stay away from CL or look when I am flat broke.

 

[Chica Lady]

Make sure that if they are on Flock Raiser that you are supplementing everyone with oyster shells too for calcium. My chicks and ducks are on Raiser too and the ducks don't touch the calcium yet. When they are older I'll probably transfer everybody back to half and half layer and Raiser for the winter.

Geez, I have enough problems trying to get enough of my own calcium.....lol

 

[Izzymoon]

mine didn't start laying till 24 weeks, and I only have 3 eggs this week ( 6 chickens) I was told 25 wks is "normal"

 

[B J Hopkins]

I have 2 Standard Blue Cochin mix that are 6mo old; 1 is laying 1 isn't. Then I have a full blooded Standard Blue Cochin that is 6mo old. She also is not laying. The rest of my young female chickens are not 5mo old till the end of Sept. Some are hatchery bought (RIR & BL), some I hatched from my existing hens (BO, Black sex link, LB & Cochin mixes). They vary in age from 2 wks to 6 months. So from now to the end of the year I should have new layers. Soon I hope as I'm only getting 4 - 9 eggs a day from my older hens. I've about 54 chicks.