24 weeks going on 25...

[1776]

... and still no eggs... what gives?

I have RIR, Golden Sex-link, Barred Rock, Silver Wyandotte, Americauna, and Silver Leghorn...

The first 4 chickens were born early Feb/ late Jan... and the last two around March

Most if not all are suppose to be egg layers... not sure anymore...

I thought they would've been laying around 18 - 22 weeks... I have been searching their nests, and all over my very small backyard that I have, and can't find any eggs.

Are their any tricks to help them lay? I feed them Layer's feed, and they roam my backyard and peck at the dirt and stuff, maybe bugs and grass...


thanks for any responses.


1776

 

[HEChicken]

Hmmm...I'd be suspecting egg-eating. Those breeds of pullets of that age certainly *should* be laying. You could test them by putting a couple of real eggs in the nest and see if they're still there by the end of the day....

 

[klmclain1]

Hmmmmm...my girls, 3 white leghorns and 5 black australorps, were all born about the same time as yours (the end of Jan) and all are laying now. Most started about 4 weeks ago. I do know that alot depends on the breed though. Trying searching this forum for your breed and see what you find. Oh, and keep looking in those hidden places....the first few times each of my girls layed - we jokingly called it our daily Easter egg hunt!

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Snake? I would hope not...but you may want to check. I killed 7 black snakes out of my pen and coop and around the area this year! Some would have three eggs in their bellies!

I agree that they should be laying, especially the sex-links. I wish you luck!

 

[1776]

Thanks for the replies...

I will try putting a couple real eggs in the nest and see if they are still there... I haven't noticed any broken shells, or anything to suspect eggs have broke there, but will try...

Yeah, it's like Easter egg hunting everyday for me... I'm checking everywhere...

I doubt We get any snakes here in So Cal... Kinda in the city... I do notice mice in my backyard tho...

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Erin~TheChickenLover :

Snake? I would hope not...but you may want to check. I killed 7 black snakes out of my pen and coop and around the area this year! Some would have three eggs in their bellies!

I agree that they should be laying, especially the sex-links. I wish you luck!

You are lucky.


One of the two snakes I've found (and killed) in my henhouse was a water moccasin...​

 

[CowgirlPenny]

What's the temp where you live? I read that a lot of people report a drop in laying when the hens are too hot. With the timing, yours were just coming into 'hens' around the peak of summer, so maybe they are too hot? Beyond that I would suspect they are eating them or something else is. How often are you checking? I have two that lay in the morning and one that lays late in the evening. I'm in the same boat sort of though. I have twelve 22wk old hens and I get three a day. For 12 girls, I expected atleast 10 a day but nope. Not yet.

 

[pinkwindsong]

I was thinking the same thing as cowgirl penny.. this heat is horrible,,, my girls have turned pink in their combs and wattles and are at 19 weeks and they are not laying yet either.. I really think this heat has a lot to do with it.. and then there is the predator idea.. could very well be someone having a buffet everyday... its seams to me too that if they were eating the eggs you would at least find a mess of yoks somewhere...

try keeping them cool and goodies.. and watch them for signs of predators..


good luck dont get discouraged.. everything will right itself.. )O(
Pink

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I'm in SoCal but the mountains. My BR was my first to lay at 18 weeks and my other two followed at 21 weeks. Are you positive they haven't made a nest somewhere? You'd be shocked at the tight spaces they can fit into, the bushes they can get under, the flower pots they can get into. What about locking them in their run for a couple days and seeing if they lay in the nest?

 

[swmalone]

I would really be surprised if the sex-link isn't laying. I have a black sex link that started laying at 16 weeks and from reading on the forum it sounds like the sex links tend to start laying well before the age of yours. I am in agreement with others that maybe the heat is getting to them, but I also think it might be worth while to keep them in the run and coop for a couple of days and then you have a much more controlled area that you can check for eggs.