19 weeks and no eggs yet for my Barred Rocks

[RoyalChick]

Oh wow! Thanks. I feel so much better about my Easter Egger and my Wyandotte! Little buggers had me worried. Pictured below are my Wyandotte, Sugar, and Joy, my Easter Egger.

Cute.
And here is Bernadette who having spent her youth freeloading, is now top hen and stays very busy keeping everyone (me included) in line.

 

[RisingPhoenixFarms]

I only have 2 barred rocks in my flock. 1 started laying at 20 weeks the other still has not started at 23 weeks. But i had a novogen start at 16 weeks and many others all in between. I had a black copper maran that started at 27 week, just before winter and only gave me 3 eggs before stopping until it started warming up again. It'll happen when it happens. All chickens are individuals, what you read on the internet as to when to expect eggs is a generalization and i've learned that chickens don't like to be generalized lol.

As for feed. I feed a 20% all flock and have oyster shell in a separate bowl on the side. Sometimes i'm constantly refilling the oyster shell other times they don't eat as much. I let them do them as they usually know what they need.

 

[kbroom]

Put them in a separate cup or container so the birds can take them as needed. Some hens may need more or less calcium than others.

I should have known I was doing it wrong! Oh well. The important thing is that I'm learning.

 

[kbroom]

I only have 2 barred rocks in my flock. 1 started laying at 20 weeks the other still has not started at 23 weeks. But i had a novogen start at 16 weeks and many others all in between. I had a black copper maran that started at 27 week, just before winter and only gave me 3 eggs before stopping until it started warming up again. It'll happen when it happens. All chickens are individuals, what you read on the internet as to when to expect eggs is a generalization and i've learned that chickens don't like to be generalized lol.

As for feed. I feed a 20% all flock and have oyster shell in a separate bowl on the side. Sometimes i'm constantly refilling the oyster shell other times they don't eat as much. I let them do them as they usually know what they need.

Now that makes sense that chickens are individuals too. Honestly, I can't see how my little Rock Barred keeps laying eggs in this 100 or more degree weather! I train the fan on her, wet the sand box down, put ice cubes in their small water dispensers, ice bottles in the larger water dispenser, and give them cold watermelon chunks with the rinds, that they love. It takes her sometimes as long as a half hour to lay an egg. The other birds stand around, and await the blessed moment, until she screeches for the 2nd time, which usually means that she's laid her egg. Oh yes, sometimes, I'll wait until she's laid it! We're headed for mid August now here in south Texas, and it should be starting to cool down a bit around the end of September. At any rate, I have a separate dish for the grit, so now, I'll put the oyster shell pellets in the other section of this separate dish (it's a double bowl). I can't really tell if they're even using the grit. Hope they know what it's for....

 

[RedHillChicken]

After looking at several places regarding the age of egg laying for my breed, mine seem to be behind the curve. Barred Rocks are an early layer. I was also watching a video which talks about the physical signs showing a hen is nearing ready to lay eggs. Age, comb and waddle development and squatting behavior. Most of my girls don't have bright red waddles or combs. I have about 5 who do. They are all the same age and from the same source. Is it possible that I'm not feeding them what they need to become mature layers or am I just being too anxious? They have been on an egg layer formula with extra calcium from 16 weeks. I also give them a 'snack' every day of either fruit, dried fly larva, or something else that is safe for them. NOT a large portion but enough that they each get a few bites. Should I be giving them something else?
We do have one older Easter Egger hen who lays daily. The littles watch her so I expect they know where eggs should be laid. They are not free range chickens, as I have too many predators about. I would know if they were laying and I look every day with anticipation.
Any advice would be appreciated.

We have barred rocks, buff orpingtons, cinnamon queens, and golden comets, and the last layers we had are the barred rocks. Now 25 weeks, barred rocks started maybe at 23-24 weeks.

 

[kbroom]

My husband says that now that Sweetie has laid over one dozen eggs, that our eggs have come down from $400 per egg to $50 per egg! Isn't that great? I don't know why my Rock Barred started laying at 24 weeks. My Sex Links are still too young, but now my Easter Egger and Golden Laced Wyandotte who are both 26 weeks old, like my Rock Barred, don't even seem to know why they are chickens!!!! Bach, bach!!! All I can do now is wait, and pray.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I really haven't seen any of them touch the grit. Don't know why.

They don't need very much of it, and if you have rocky soil they may be taking it straight from the ground. It's still good, cheap insurance to have some available if they want it, as it doesn't spoil so you can just keep it around forever.

I did think that it was not prudent to suddenly give them calcium just as they started laying eggs. I assumed they would need a build up in their systems so that they would be ready for laying....just goes to show you never can tell.

This is why I simply have it available on the side (as both oyster shell and eggshell) throughout the year, even if it's winter and no one's laying, or spring and there's chicks in the flock (at most the chicks will eat a few pieces and decide they don't need it yet). They can manage their own needs that way.

Only time you have to worry about intentionally supplementing is if you have birds that for one reason or another refuse to intake enough of it to meet their needs, but that can be addressed if it arises, otherwise don't worry about it.

 

[GemW]

My Barred rock is 19 weeks and about 5th down the list of who I *think* is gonna lay. She's starting to sprout her comb but it's not even close to red yet. She's gonna be awhile...