30-Week Buff Orpington at the Bottom of Pecking Order Not Laying

[SusiesPeeps]

I'm hoping I can get some help with my Buff Orpington, who is one of six hens (others are 2 Light Brahmas, 1 Barred Rock, 1 Jersey Giant, 1 Cinnamon Queen) that are all 30 weeks old and have been together since they were two days old. She is the only hen who is not laying. The others have been laying for a month. She has always been at the bottom of the pecking order. Though she is healthy and eats and drinks, she is always the last to do so. If I put any additional food in the feeder, like kale or oatmeal, she never gets any because the others eat it all before she gets to it. When they free range, she is usually on her own and is the only one who has to be caught to come back to the run and coop.

Since the winter is approaching soon, we just switched from a plastic vertical nipple waterer to this heated version that has the horizontal types. The other hens caught on pretty quickly, but my BO always waits until everyone else has had water and then just attempts to get the leftover droplets that slide down the side. She must be getting enough water because she appears healthy. I don't think she is getting physically injured by the others. Haven't seen any feather-picking. But, I think she doesn't approach the nest boxes because it's not her place. Her face and wattle are very red, so I do believe she is ready to lay. They also all have the free choice oyster shell.

I'd appreciate any words of wisdom, suggestions, etc. Thanks!

 

[Sally PB]

I suggest more than one station for both food and water. If you already have two, maybe a third. I looked at that waterer... at $54, so a second one might not be an option. But for food, bowls are pretty cheap.

 

[sourland]

Make sure that she is getting enough to eat and drink even if that necessitates additional feed and water stations. She will lay.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Thanks, Sally and sourland. We went ahead and ordered a second waterer, so now there are 6 nipples in all. She still, however, drinks mostly the drops that slide down. I have wondered about another feeder. Right now, we have the Grandpa's feeder so not all the hens can feed at the same time. I appreciate that suggestion.

 

[aart]

Are you sure she's not laying?
She may just be a slow starter.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Nipples take time.
I've had all age birds either pick it right up within an hour...and others that take weeks to really figure it out.

Here's my thoughts on 'nipple training'.

First, it's good to know how much water your flock consumes 'normally', I top off water every morning and have marks on the waterers so I know about how much they drink.
Found they drank just as much from the nipples as they did from the open waterer.

-Do not train to nipples during extreme temps when dehydration is more of a risk.

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),
and/or manually grab them and push their head/beak onto the trigger(easier with chicks than adults).

-No other water source, best to 'train' during mild weather when dehydration is less of an immediate health risk. I do provide an open waterer late in day to make sure they don't go to roost dehydrated, especially young chicks.

It can take days or weeks to get them fully switched over, just takes observation, consistency, and patience.

 

[DaisyBuff]

I have a buff Orpington who has not started laying untill 9 months old. Maybe she is just a slow starter Buff Orpingtons are known as slow starters sometimes.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Are you sure she's not laying?
She may just be a slow starter.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Nipples take time.
I've had all age birds either pick it right up within an hour...and others that take weeks to really figure it out.

Here's my thoughts on 'nipple training'.

First, it's good to know how much water your flock consumes 'normally', I top off water every morning and have marks on the waterers so I know about how much they drink.
Found they drank just as much from the nipples as they did from the open waterer.

-Do not train to nipples during extreme temps when dehydration is more of a risk.

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),
and/or manually grab them and push their head/beak onto the trigger(easier with chicks than adults).

-No other water source, best to 'train' during mild weather when dehydration is less of an immediate health risk. I do provide an open waterer late in day to make sure they don't go to roost dehydrated, especially young chicks.

It can take days or weeks to get them fully switched over, just takes observation, consistency, and patience.

Thanks, Aart, I've been taking my BO's beak and put it directly on the new nipples. She pecks at it, so I think she gets the mechanism. She will only approach the waterers (now there are two), however, when none of the others is nearby. When the others like to scratch at the bedding near the nest boxes before they lay, my BO will attempt to join them but she gets sent away. She is definitely the outsider. But, as you say, I will try to observe a bit more. I recognize the eggs of each of the other hens by now, and they all started out very slow with tiny eggs as I've learned is normal. Thanks very much for your suggestions!

 

[SusiesPeeps]

I have a buff Orpington who has not started laying untill 9 months old. Maybe she is just a slow starter Buff Orpingtons are known as slow starters sometimes.

Thanks, DaisyBuff, I'm beginning to think, after reading the article Aart pointed out and other posts I've read at BYC, she just may be a slow starter, considering she is also at the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[DaisyBuff]

Happy to help!