27 week old chicken not laying

[chrisbohman]

I see no reason to panic or worry. I've had a couple of pullets start laying as young as 16 weeks. I've had a couple start laying at 9 months in early December on some of the shortest days of the year. I consider both of these as extremes but not that unusual. They are going to lay when they lay. External circumstances can affect that but each is an individual.

What I often see in a group of 10 dual-purpose pullets like Sussex is that by 20 weeks one or two will probably be laying. By 24 weeks of age I'd expect maybe half to be laying. By 28 weeks old I'd expect all of them or practically all of them to be laying. But each one is an individual and can be an exception. But each flock is unique and can vary quite a bit.

As all the others are laying you are not doing anything wrong. It is not a flockwide problem. If you even consider it a problem it is an individual hen problem. If you feel you have to do something do it to that individual hen. Do not risk messing up the rest of your flock by treating them all.

Girls that started laying in December, interesting. What breeds were those girls? I have 2 girls that are not yet laying, the first is a 25 week old Easter Egger, the 2nd is a 26 or 27 week old hen called an Americauna, but from what I have since deduced is most likely a different variety of Easter Egger.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Girls that started laying in December, interesting. What breeds were those girls?

I got the hatching eggs from a breeder that was working with a consortium to develop a new color/pattern of Ameraucanas. The breeder was amazed at how long it took them to start laying, most of hers were laying by 5 to 6 months of age. When I hatched eggs from those pullets their daughters were typically laying by 5 to 6 months, certainly not nine months.

We never did figure out why those two were so late. But it clearly showed me that they will lay when they lay.

 

[FrostRanger]

I had an ameraucana based easter egger start laying in December - at exactly the same time the other bird who was laying went on a. break so it took me a few weeks to figure out what was going on

 

[Grumpy Lady]

I can't speak for Speckled Sussex, but I had a blue Andalusian that didn't lay her first egg until 51 weeks! Everyone else was laying, so same nutrition and activity and light and exercise as all the rest. She was just a late bloomer. She lays regularly now and seems a happy girl. As others have said, some chickens have different internal clocks than others.

 

[Love Donkeys]

I have Speckled Sussex and they take their own sweet time about laying eggs. Usually they start laying around 26 weeks. Once they decide to start laying they will keep it up until they go into molt.

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with all the above, except the worming. But to each his own, but I am warning you, you are at a tricky stage. What I would expect, is the pullets that are laying, will slow in laying, but should lay all winter. However, the ones that are not laying, there is a strong chance that they may not lay until February.


I frequently hatch in the summer - generally May, June or July, even August. That is when my hens go broody. Anything hatched in June, won't make 5 months til November, and if they will lay in the winter is iffy, as in I don't count on it. I have one pullet that hatch mid June. She is really growing, but has not reddened up at all. And I have 3 chicks maybe a month old.

However, they will come on to lay, early in the spring, and generally are very good layers.

Mrs K

 

[chrisbohman]

Wow! You just changed your girls over to layer feed at 5 months (21+ weeks)? I have 5 all born in March (23-25 weeks old) and they have been on layer feed since early July. Three of my girls have been laying consistently for over a month now, the first one started laying in mid July. Similarly I have 2 that have not yet laid an egg. As based on their breeds, the 2 non laying hens should be laying colored (not brown) eggs.

Ok, this past Wednesday 11/6/24, I found five eggs in one of the coop's nesting boxes. So all 5 of my girls have laid an egg! Thursday, I again only got 3 eggs, fingers crossed on later today Fri 11/8????