28 weeks and not the first egg!

[Brittkent]

I have 6 RIR x White rocks and I haven't gotten the first egg. They are almost 29 weeks old. They have plenty of food and water, I've even went out and bought oyster shells. They have laying boxes w/ straw in it and I've placed fake eggs in them. I have run out of ideas, what should I do? I'm going crazy....

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Oyster shell won't stimulate lay, it will replace the calcium pulled from the medullary bone when the egg is made.

What is their feed? Where do you live? What is their housing like (light and ventilation)?

 

[Brittkent]

Right now they are on the Dumor crumble and cracked corn. I live in central VA.

They have a nice size coop. They go up at night and have ventilation pockets in the house. We have about 12 hrs of day light still so I haven't put a light in the house.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

How long have they been on the Dumor layer?
What percentage of the total intake is corn?

 

[Brittkent]

They have been on Dumor for about 2 months before that they were eating the feed that Southern states sells. I would say about 80% feed and 20% corn.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm assuming the layer crumble is 16% protein.
I'm also assuming the starter/grower feed was 18% or more.
Cut back on your corn to about 5% or less. 20% is dropping you to 15% crude protein or less.
Vegetable based food is already barely sufficient in essential amino acids.
Add a little fish or meat to the diet as a treat.
Light and sufficient amino acids are among the things that will help ovulation.

 

[aart]

CC covered the nutrition.

Do you free range?

 

[Brittkent]

I was letting them free range but the past week or so people have started to run dogs (getting ready for hunting season) so they have been staying in there coop.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That will likely affect the light reaching the pineal gland which controls hormone production and thereby sexual maturity.

 

[eleaserek]

I just added light to my coop because we were down to about 12 1/2 hours of light a day and my white rock and EE pullets were not laying anymore added an hour of light in the morning, and my white rock has already started back up, now just waiting on the EE. I'm working them up to 14 hrs a little at a time. Since that's what I've read is a pretty average "ideal."