23 week old hens not laying yet

[nicolevg]

I have 1 Ameraucana, 1 Red Star (I think), 1 Whiting True Green, 2 Barred Rocks, and 2 Buff Orpington hens who all turn 23 weeks old tomorrow (Monday, September 11th). Last week, one of the buffs started laying very small eggs, and has laid 3 eggs since her first egg 6 days ago. But all the others are still not laying. I'm wondering why this could be. My previous batch of chicks all started laying around 19-20 weeks. Is this because of the changing weather? It's been warm during the day (high 70s) and getting into the mid-high 50s at night. Some of the trees are just starting to change color and the days are getting shorter, but I haven't noticed the hens molting any significant amount yet. Any ideas? I'm anxious for more egg! We currently have 3 RIRs who are 2 years old, and 1 Ameraucana who's 4 years old; all have been laying all summer since the chicks were integrated with them at around 12 weeks.

For reference, we also have 1 Buff Orpington rooster and 1 Ameraucana rooster, in case that matters. The flock dynamics are good. The bottom of the hierarchy is one of the RIRs.

 

[PopoMyers]

I have 1 Ameraucana, 1 Red Star (I think), 1 Whiting True Green, 2 Barred Rocks, and 2 Buff Orpington hens who all turn 23 weeks old tomorrow (Monday, September 11th). Last week, one of the buffs started laying very small eggs, and has laid 3 eggs since her first egg 6 days ago. But all the others are still not laying. I'm wondering why this could be. My previous batch of chicks all started laying around 19-20 weeks. Is this because of the changing weather? It's been warm during the day (high 70s) and getting into the mid-high 50s at night. Some of the trees are just starting to change color and the days are getting shorter, but I haven't noticed the hens molting any significant amount yet. Any ideas? I'm anxious for more egg! We currently have 3 RIRs who are 2 years old, and 1 Ameraucana who's 4 years old; all have been laying all summer since the chicks were integrated with them at around 12 weeks.

For reference, we also have 1 Buff Orpington rooster and 1 Ameraucana rooster, in case that matters. The flock dynamics are good. The bottom of the hierarchy is one of the RIRs.

Give them a little more time. Are their combs and wattles bright red? Have faith, it will happen. Molting time will be upon us soon.

 

[LaFleche]

Decreasing daylength often leads to later POL.
And maybe they are bothered by two males wanting to mate which can prevent them from eating and resting the way they normally would.

Two males for eleven hens is one male too many.

What exactly are you feeding?

 

[DLA]

Mine didn't start laying till starting 24 weeks thru all of them laying by 26 weeks so I wouldn't worry about how long it's taking, especially with days getting shorter.

 

[gimmie birdies]

They are young yet. Once the one starts laying the others will soon enough.

 

[nicolevg]

Give them a little more time. Are their combs and wattles bright red? Have faith, it will happen. Molting time will be upon us soon.

The Ameraucana, barred rocks, & olive/easter eggers have bright red combs & wattles. And the two roosters have had large, bright combs and wattles for the past month, in spite of one of them molting slightly around his neck and under his beak a bit. I wonder why they came of age around when I was expecting, but the hens aren't.

 

[nicolevg]

Decreasing daylength often leads to later POL.
And maybe they are bothered by two males wanting to mate which can prevent them from eating and resting the way they normally would.

Two males for eleven hens is one male too many.

What exactly are you feeding?

Yeah, I didn't order 2 males. I only wanted 1 (buff orpington), but Murray McMurray gave me 1 of each gender of Ameraucanas instead of 2 hens like I ordered. I feed them fermented Grubbly Farms along with plain water, water with a bit of ACV and herbal supplements, and access to however much oyster shells they want, along with kitchen scraps (mainly lettuce bottoms and broccoli stems) and black soldier fly grubs a couple times a week.

Also, I've read that 1 rooster needs at least 4-5 hens. So mathematically, that should be fine. They're both really good roosters, not excessively rough with the hens. And the one they pick on the most (which still isn't excessive imo) who's at the bottom of the hierarchy is one of the 2yo RIR, who lays around 6 days/week. I like them both, and they're best friends, so I couldn't bring myself to get rid of one of them.

 

[NatJ]

I wonder why they came of age around when I was expecting, but the hens aren't.

Cockerels naturally mature faster than pullets.

The earliest I ever heard of a cockerel sucessfully fertilizing an egg was about 7 weeks (proof of fertility: it hatched and the owner posted about it.)

The earliest I ever heard of a pullet laying an egg was about 15-16 weeks.

(Neither of those is very common. I'm just mentioning them as examples of how much earlier males can mature than females.)

 

[LaFleche]

Yeah, I didn't order 2 males. I only wanted 1 (buff orpington), but Murray McMurray gave me 1 of each gender of Ameraucanas instead of 2 hens like I ordered. I feed

That is really bad luck, did you tell them and got send the two pullets after your complaint?

Nonetheless you might want to find a new home for the surplus cockerels, or enlarge your flock, coop and run accordingly.

 

[nicolevg]

Cockerels naturally mature faster than pullets.

The earliest I ever heard of a cockerel sucessfully fertilizing an egg was about 7 weeks (proof of fertility: it hatched and the owner posted about it.)

The earliest I ever heard of a pullet laying an egg was about 15-16 weeks.

(Neither of those is very common. I'm just mentioning them as examples of how much earlier males can mature than females.)

Oh wow! I didn't know that. Good to know. So chickens are the opposites of humans, basically. (Women/hen decides the sex of the chick instead of the man/rooster like with humans. And usually human women start puberty before boys/men).