30 week RIR not laying yet--something wrong?

[ryanhodapp]

My 30 week old RIR has not laid an egg yet.
Is something wrong with her?
Are there chickens that are infertile?
My first year and know I am worried about her health more than getting the egg.
I add light last week.

any help is appreciated

 

[elieugene6]

Hi, not to worry some just take longer to lay. The only breeds that really lay at 18 to 20 wks are sex links and amberlinks. Most of the rest take a while. I have a bantam cochin and a bantam polish that are 32 and 36 wks and they probably wont lay for awhile still. Some of the breeder quality birds can take up to a year to lay, but that is rare. Not to mention they molt at this time of year as well and wont lay while molting. I have some that are molting but I have only seen them lose one or two feathers.

 

[ryanhodapp]

Thanks, I just dont want her to get all bound up.
I went out this morning and felt around her bottom, I didnt feel anything hard.

I will keep waiting, she is the queen chicken and the most personality.

 

[Ariel301]

Quote:
Now you tell me....I got some bantam cochins in February and they are showing no signs of laying anytime soon.

 

[shortstaque]

To alleviate the insatiable urge to check for my first egg again and again, I am in the process of charting the breeds and dates of first lay from the first egg pics thread. So far the RIRs range from 16-27 weeks for first eggs with most of them starting about 22 weeks. So 30 weeks isn't that far beyond what others have seen. Not to mention the ones people post on that thread are from their first chicken to lay an egg, so there must be loads that lay later than that. Maybe we need to start a last to lay thread

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Keep in mind Heritage Reds will take a lot longer than Production Reds too.