26wks and Hardly Laying???

[Bleenie]

I started getting eggs about four weeks ago, very randomly... 1 egg this day, two the next, then none. I have 4 pullets that are 26wks old on Sept. 1st and I have gotten MAYBE just over 1 dozen eggs since they started laying!

Their mothers were very good layers considering they were Wyandottes and the EE's mothers laid an egg a day always. Their father came from the same birds so I don't understand why these girls are laying so poorly. They're fat, healthy, active, well fed and always have fresh water. They are also free ranged.

I was feeding a "Poultry Feed" that was 18% protein, their mothers ate the same food and laid wonderfully with no shell problems or anything weird. I even fed this to the duck hens and they laid rock hard, perfect eggs. I went to buy feed a few days ago and they were out of my regular feed so I got Gamebird instead(26% protein i think). They have acted fine since they started eating the Gamebird feed but there's been no difference in egg laying either.

I would REALLY appreciate any input anyone has on this problem. Being that my EE's are crossbreeds of good layers I was expecting they would be good layers as well, but no such luck so far. If they don't start laying better soon They are going to have to go and I don't really want to do it!

ETA: I got one egg yesterday from 4+ girls(i have about 10 girls that just turned 22wks) and NO eggs so far today.

 

[Fred's Hens]

They are also free ranged.

And.... there's quite likely your answer. If by free range, you mean true free ranging, then, if they are all laying, as they are still quite young, then it is reasonable to assume they are laying elsewhere. Simple way to find out. Lock them in their coop/run for three days and then, count eggs.

 

[Bleenie]

I've locked them up in the coop for two days straight twice now to see if maybe they were just hiding them but laying was the same? The eggs I am getting are in the nest boxes. Some days I will get 3 eggs and they're all in the same box. I guess I will have to lock them up for an extra day and see what happens.

Thanks.

 

[Den in Penn]

With Easter Eggers, being slow starters, I would just now start to expect them to lay, happy if they stated earlier. Don;t know about the Wyandottes. Is the father an EE?

 

[Bleenie]

The dad of all is my Wyandotte Roo & the EE's mommas were my 3 Olive Eggers.

I had never heard that EEs were slower to lay, I just expected my Wyandotte girls to be the last ones to start(in each age group anyway). thanks for that bit of info. If they don't start laying better in the next few weeks I will make my decision then. It's been warm here this year and even though they should be used to it by now I was thinking it might still be affecting them and slowing things down.

 

[ibarbidahl]

One thing I noticed with my girls is that when I change their habitual stuff (don't let them range for a day, lock them up longer, move the pen, etc) they hold those eggs for a day or two - one of my pullets holds back for 2-3 days. The older hens don't seem to do this as they are a lot more used to us messing with the routine off and on, but pullets just coming into lay are perhaps more skittish with their eggs?

You've been doing this longer than I have -but it is something to consider anyway. Keeping them locked up for a little longer and teaching them to use the next boxes is a good thing anyway.

G/L! Keep us posted!