24 weeks old and .................

[Kojack]

Still No Eggs. Black sex-links and gold sexlinks 12 girls and 1 Roo. I have read them chicken recipes and still nothing. I am starting to expect an egg from my Roo before I get one from the girls!

 

[justmeandtheflock]

hmmm, seems late for SL's. Do they free range? My RSL's started at 17 weeks and I am now getting 5 or 6 eggs a day from the 6 of them at 19 weeks. I have BSL's and a bunch of others that will be 14 weeks this friday and I am starting to get anxious for them to start.

Now that you posted this, you are going to go out there and find an egg

 

[Kojack]

Boy I sure hope I find an egg. They do range when I am home. On most weekdays they are locked up in the coop and get to be free when someone is home. I am starting to wonder if they are eating their eggs. Would I be able to tell if they were?

 

[Kittymomma]

I am starting to wonder if they are eating their eggs. Would I be able to tell if they were?

Probably not, they do a pretty through job of it. Are you feeding layer mix? My Austrolorps, Orpington and EE's aren't laying yet, but the sex links started weeks ago and are very reliable. It does seem odd that you're not getting anything at 22 weeks from that many of them....

The only things I can think of is to make sure their nutrition requirments are being met and put some oyster shell out for them as well. You don't say how much room they have. Any possibility that they're crowded? That can stress them out and possibly delay laying.

Also, I'd check around/watch closely when you let them out next--chickens can be sneaky, it wouldn't surprise me at all if you found a whole nest full of eggs somewhere.

 

[Tecalli]

So Kittymomma says: Also, I'd check around/watch closely when you let them out next--chickens can be sneaky, it wouldn't surprise me at all if you found a whole nest full of eggs somewhere.

Okay, you can tell I am really new to this. I haven't gotten any eggs yet but mine are only 18 weeks old. If Kojack's chicks are laying eggs when they are let out would they stay around the eggs or would they just lay them and go about their business? I thought hens would hang around their eggs, wanting to sit on them, protect them, etc. But is that not always the case?

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Unless a hen is "Broody", she will find a secluded place to lay an egg and then be off about her business. This can be deep in the raspberry bushes, or in an old box in a shed...anyplace quiet where she feels safe and undisturbed. Our are in a large pasture and we had to put golf balls in the box and shut them in the building to encourage the young pullets to lay where we wanted them to. Otherwise there are eggs under every bush.

A broody hen is actually affected by a hormone change in her body that tells her to stay on those eggs. The chemistry of their body actually changes, making them require less food and water (but don't take it away!) and have different kinds of bowell movements and lose feathers on their breast. Young birds are rarely broody when they first start to lay.

 

[Kojack]

my girls are 24 weeks. they are on laying pellets. They are in a 9ft by 9ft. coop and always have food and other treats ie. veggies and biscuits and popcorn (without oil or salt) I am just at a loss here. I tried watching them and where they hang out, but they just all spread out around the house. I dont know....

 

[Kittymomma]

my girls are 24 weeks. they are on laying pellets. They are in a 9ft by 9ft. coop and always have food and other treats ie. veggies and biscuits and popcorn (without oil or salt) I am just at a loss here. I tried watching them and where they hang out, but they just all spread out around the house. I dont know....

9x9 (81 sq') is a bit on the small side for 13 full sized birds. The general rule of thumb is 10 square feet per bird so that might be part of your problem. Have you noticed any other crowding behaviours like excesive pecking, feather eating.....If possible I'd add a secure run or downsize your flock to around 8 birds or so.

 

[the lemon tree]

Quote:
9x9 (81 sq') is a bit on the small side for 13 full sized birds. The general rule of thumb is 10 square feet per bird so that might be part of your problem. Have you noticed any other crowding behaviours like excesive pecking, feather eating.....If possible I'd add a secure run or downsize your flock to around 8 birds or so.

For the coop, usually 4 sq. ft/bird is sufficient. It is only for the run that people "suggest" 10 sq. ft/bird.

 

[Kojack]

no, no pecking, no feather eating, they all get along very well...(they are actually sweet to one another) They are the same age with the exception of Roo, who is a year older than the girls. I was out today watching them and I think that a few of them may be "close"

. I say this because they are hanging out further away from the house and are laying down in little scratched up nest looking places in the dirt next to an old concrete water trough. (sneaking?) But then again, what do I know. These are my first chickens and I don't know anything but what I am told on BYC.