22 weeks no eggs!

[belindaschicks]

I have an Olive egger, sultan, amauracana, and orphington all not laying. They have access to oyster shell eating bugs, supervise free range so I know they are not laying outside. They are on a mixture of grower and layer. Fake eggs in the box. They are not squatting, some are red but not as red as my 4 year older girls. My first two flocks layed around 19,20 weeks and were later in the year. I don't know what is different. I'm doing everything the same. I don't expect the sultan to lay anytime soon but the rest I thought would be laying. Any ideas to speed thing up?

 

[Wezdin]

Look for a hidden nest, they could be laying somewhere else. Its happened to me tons of times.

 

[FortCluck]

Some breeds do not lay until they're 6 months. If you have checked around to make sure they are not laying eggs in another spot other than the nesting box, They might just be late layers. I find the more you expect eggs, the longer they make you wait...

A few days ago I was complaining about my Delaware not laying eggs yet even though she has a very red face. I swear she heard me because the next day she laid an egg, and now there is somebody else who laid an egg as well. Yesterday we went from 3 eggs a day to 5! Most of my birds are breeds that do not lay until they are usually 6 months old.

 

[FortCluck]

And if you look up olive eggers, some of them do not lay until they are 8-months-old. Ameraucana's do not lay until 6 months according to many sites. Usually the chickens who lay colored eggs take a longer time than most.

 

[Eggs2chicks]

I have an Olive egger, sultan, amauracana, and orphington all not laying. They have access to oyster shell eating bugs, supervise free range so I know they are not laying outside. They are on a mixture of grower and layer. Fake eggs in the box. They are not squatting, some are red but not as red as my 4 year older girls. My first two flocks layed around 19,20 weeks and were later in the year. I don't know what is different. I'm doing everything the same. I don't expect the sultan to lay anytime soon but the rest I thought would be laying. Any ideas to speed thing up?

Just patience. Mine didn’t lay until about 22 weeks when they started. I thought they were broken. Lol

 

[ColtHandorf]

In my experience all of those breeds are late bloomers. With it going into the fall I'm not expecting any eggs from my two English Orpington pullets that are over six months now.

 

[Compost King]

Very few breeds lay by 22 weeks. The only ones I have that lay by 22 weeks are my white leghorns (commercial) my CX (if they live long enough to lay), my Red Rangers and Red Ranger Crosses. Pretty much commercial breeds lay early and everything else goes 6 months or longer. If they mature in the fall it takes even longer, If you want chickens to lay as early as possible its best to get Chicks in the fall so they mature in the spring with the growing daylight.

 

[FortCluck]

In my experience all of those breeds are late bloomers. With it going into the fall I'm not expecting any eggs from my two English Orpington pullets that are over six months now.

I have 2 Cochins that are 22 weeks and I know they won't lay until probably next spring.

I did have an OE that laid at 12 weeks, she was my special chicken. She actually had something wrong with her reproductive system and passed away last week. It was heartbreaking. Early laying is not always a good thing. She was 10 months old when she passed away in her sleep. We looked for a predator attack. She had been having on and off laying for a few weeks, which was diagnosed as an egg laying issue that could not be fixed.

 

[Compost King]

I have 2 Cochins that are 22 weeks and I know they won't lay until probably next spring.

I did have an OE that laid at 12 weeks, she was my special chicken. She actually had something wrong with her reproductive system and passed away last week. It was heartbreaking. Early laying is not always a good thing.

Now that you mention it, outside of my white leghorns the early layers (usually commercial and free range able meat birds) have survivability issues at a young age. The Leghorns are a Miracle bird in my opinion. Not sure how something can eat so little lay such a big egg and lay so many of them and still have a long life. Although my Colored Leghorns are not so prolific with laying and go over 6 months before they lay. My red Leghorns have not laid and we are into the 7th month now. The Silver Leghorns laid at 6 months but the eggs are awfully small.

 

[tn_artist]

I have three EE, two Welsummers and two Buttercups. They are ALL over 7 months old. The only one that has laid was one of the Buttercups. She laid two and quit. Quite a few of my bantams are laying, or were laying, two have babies and one is on the nest. Laying are, at least three OEBG, one d'Uccle, a couple of bantam cochins. No one goes out until I am home from work, so after 5ish. 7 stinking months!