24 weeks and no eggs?

[CluckyCharms]

I have a question that I haven't seen presented in this thread yet. Are you 100%, beyond any shadow of a doubt, no question whatsoever in your mind ---- that your hens aren't laying exactly where they believe they should? In other words, check your yard. There are a lot of hens that just don't 'get' the nesting box idea, and create their nests in various places around their yard area. Check under bushes, behind sheds, behind anything that is laying up against something else (in case they're cramming themselves between things to lay). Check the chicken run...especially under any hay or bedding you may have. If they're laying out there, could be getting covered up by another chicken, too. Just a suggestion, not meant to cause any ill intent. I hope they leave you some eggers soon!

Or...you may just have a bunch of egg-munchers in the coop and they're dining on their production. Also could be a furry 4-legged egg-thieving critter. Any chance of setting up a game cam?

 

[lymanmomof3]

My pullets havent laid yet (BLRW) and they were late spring hatched (5/27) and I was pondering the same idea that now its mid Oct. (Maine) less light, and getting coldier that most likely like you believe the pullets first eggs are going to be long awaited. Glad though that I saw your post. Makes me feel better about my flock.

I am in Maine too, my hens were hatched April 9th and just started laying a only a couple of weeks ago. I was looking all over the yard for eggs because I didn't think they could possibly NOT be laying, but they just weren't. They were just too young. It's better for them to be older anyway. They were between 25 and 26 weeks when they started. Once one did it, they all followed suit pretty quickly. My Australorp is a laying champ. I fear for her getting broody actually, she is obsessed with the process and God forbid should I be near the hen house when "it's time".

But I digress...

They all run back to the hen house to lay when out foraging because I kept them inside the coop/run for a couple of days until I got an egg. I would definitely recommend keeping them in and putting a ceramic egg in the nesting box so they get the hint. When I removed the distraction of foraging and the big yard, dust bathing, leaf scratching and bugs they love so much, they didn't forget to do what they are supposed to do. If that's really what happened... It worked for me but I'm a first-timer so I don't know if it works for all. I got 4 eggs today so the shorter days don't seem to be affecting them yet.

 

[TriangleMaster9]

I have a question that I haven't seen presented in this thread yet.  Are you 100%, beyond any shadow of a doubt, no question whatsoever in your mind ---- that your hens aren't laying exactly where they believe they should?  In other words, check your yard.  There are a lot of hens that just don't 'get' the nesting box idea, and create their nests in various places around their yard area.  Check under bushes, behind sheds, behind anything that is laying up against something else (in case they're cramming themselves between things to lay).  Check the chicken run...especially under any hay or bedding you may have.  If they're laying out there, could be getting covered up by another chicken, too.   Just a suggestion, not meant to cause any ill intent.   I hope they leave you some eggers soon!

Or...you may just have a bunch of egg-munchers in the coop and they're dining on their production.  Also could be a furry 4-legged egg-thieving critter.  Any chance of setting up a game cam?

Ok so here it goes... We don't let them roam around in our yard unless we're out there with them because we live and a neighbor and they could easy get out or be eaten by a coyote or something. I have also been check around their little faces for any egg yolks, because that thought has crossed my mind a few times. I also would think would see some eggs shell if that we're the case. I have to little dogs, they're cavaliers, and I made sure that they can't get to them nest box or the chickens, but then again, they're pretty afraid of the chickens too because when ever then stick their noses up the to run they all run over and eventually peck me up the nose! Ouch! so I don't thinks that's the case, it's probably they're just late bloomers, I mean the rest of them are only around 24 weeks... Which I just realized is how old buttercup was when I started this thread

 

[LakeBird]

I have a question that I haven't seen presented in this thread yet. Are you 100%, beyond any shadow of a doubt, no question whatsoever in your mind ---- that your hens aren't laying exactly where they believe they should? In other words, check your yard. There are a lot of hens that just don't 'get' the nesting box idea, and create their nests in various places around their yard area. Check under bushes, behind sheds, behind anything that is laying up against something else (in case they're cramming themselves between things to lay). Check the chicken run...especially under any hay or bedding you may have. If they're laying out there, could be getting covered up by another chicken, too. Just a suggestion, not meant to cause any ill intent. I hope they leave you some eggers soon!

Or...you may just have a bunch of egg-munchers in the coop and they're dining on their production. Also could be a furry 4-legged egg-thieving critter. Any chance of setting up a game cam?

We'll check the yard; however I have a rather extensive flower garden...so...who knows. You can see my issue with the flower garden. We got 1 year old Ameracuanas, hoping they would show our 25ish week old Orps where to lay the eggs. A couple of the Orps looked at Kate (the 1 year old) as she was laying in the nesting box like "What the heck are you doing in there?" I figured the rest will copy cat and use the nesting box or once the flower garden dies back, we will find the egg stash!

 

[CluckyCharms]

We'll check the yard; however I have a rather extensive flower garden...so...who knows. You can see my issue with the flower garden. We got 1 year old Ameracuanas, hoping they would show our 25ish week old Orps where to lay the eggs. A couple of the Orps looked at Kate (the 1 year old) as she was laying in the nesting box like "What the heck are you doing in there?" I figured the rest will copy cat and use the nesting box or once the flower garden dies back, we will find the egg stash!

I see three eggs in that picture.

I'm kidding, actually - but either way I hope they start laying eggs soon - in an area that is easily visible (preferably in their boxes, lol) Gorgeous garden too, btw.

 

[onedoodle3]

I found the first 5 eggs my girls laid out in plain view in their pen. I had no idea they had laid. I had gone into the pen to give them treats and was sitting in the chair watching them, started looking around the pen to see if I needed to do anything while I was in there and saw the first egg. I sat there a good 2 minutes staring at it until it hit me! I thought "you dummy, that's an EGG!!!" I jumped up (scared the girls and Nosy the mean rooster) and went to pick it up, glanced over to the coop, and there was another one. I looked around and ended up finding 5. I was shocked. They finally figured out what the nesting boxes were for though. I put straw in them and they loved it. I have 2 nesting boxes in the coop but most of the time, they all lay in the same box. Go figure. Good luck on the Great Egg Watch 2012!

 

[LakeBird]

I see three eggs in that picture.

I'm kidding, actually - but either way I hope they start laying eggs soon - in an area that is easily visible (preferably in their boxes, lol) Gorgeous garden too, btw.

Thank you. It was late last night...what I meant to say is that we have looked in the most common areas where they lay down, which is under a few of the trees.

 

[TriangleMaster9]

FINALY!

I got a beatiful little egg today sitting right next to the door way! When I got home today I went to check on them as always and I realized they hadn't pushed their door open; usually I crack it about and inch or two at night and in the morning they push it open, but anyways I opened it up and I though I was an egg through the door way, and I got all excited, and hurried over and opened up the side door and there it was!
It's really small, I weighed it, only 39 grams, but its a first egg! Good job girl! Actually I'm thinking it was Kim who laid the egg, she was masking a good amount of noise and from what I've heard Orpingtons eggs look like, this doesn't look like one.

 

[chickortreat]

For what it's worth, I have a fluorescent light on a timer set to come on around 3 in the morning to give them extra light. I turned it off last fall and could tell a difference in laying within a week.

 

[TriangleMaster9]

Wow, ok, I'll look into it, we have a heat lamp hanging in there but its never on. We just left it in there because once they started to out grow their brooder we put them in our chicken coop, that we moved into our garage, and left em like until they where old enough to go out. So, would that be too hot for at night and stuff?