33 week old EE still not laying

[alknoll]

I’ve noticed that chickens redden up early. My Wyandotte, Valentine, Has been red since week 18 and she’s yet to lay! However, it was the same case with JB, who was red at week 18 but didn’t lay for another 6 weeks. Call them “liars” if you want ! With time and patience, you will get an egg. Hopefully a nice color to! And don’t worry about the white-layer. It might be a bonus. If you can create a basket with lots of different colors, such as a combination of a few different colors, like eggs from blue eggers, green eggers, white eggers, tan eggers, and dark brown eggers, you can come up with something that will look fantastic! Just like what I did here with JB’s eggs and some regular brown eggs from the store. By themselves the brown ones are boring, but with the other color next to them, they look great! You can’t be disappointed with color, each of them can look great (although I admit, colored eggs are more fun!)
View attachment 2445466We won the lottery with JB here, and she’s laid about 15 beautiful Blue/Green eggs so far! I’m sure your wait will be rewarding, and you will have a carton like this!View attachment 2445464
I’ll try and find a pic of Valentines red comb at 17 weeks to show you. She looked so POL some said “cockerel!” Before they even got to see a full-body picture! (She’s definitely a pullet though!) However, The comb is not always accurate, they can redden up a long time before the chicken is ready. Better signs would be checking her vent or look up tricks (you can look that up, my post is getting to long) and watch for her to squat. Hopefully that will happen soon! But in the meantime, we can play the first-egg waiting game together! I have 3 other Pullets who are taking their sweet time, And I’ll have you know, I’m not very patient!

Yeah, she was squatting a week or two ago, and then stopped. . . Now she just hops around when I try to pet her instead of squatting like she used to. I tried the vent thing but honestly the distance between her two hip (?) bones didn't feel very wide to my unexperienced hand.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Did I buy a lemon? Will she not lay until spring? Located in SE Michigan, temps are 20s at night/ 30s/40s during the day. Her sister the same age started laying weeks ago!

View attachment 2445420

It's could be because of the cold or it could be she is hiding them is there any where she can hide a nest

 

[CHlCKEN]

Yeah, she was squatting a week or two ago, and then stopped. . . Now she just hops around when I try to pet her instead of squatting like she used to. I tried the vent thing but honestly the distance between her two hip (?) bones didn't feel very wide to my unexperienced hand.

Interesting. I’ve never used the vent trick so I couldn’t help, but it sounds like she could actually be very close to laying, if she hasn’t already and is just hiding them.

 

[Secondof9]

I think there is allot of variation in individual chickens for onset of laying as well as personality, etc. In my first flock of chickens I had 2 Wyandottes. One began laying at about 24 weeks and laid throughout the winter but the other one was 9 months old for her first egg! One was a friendly lap chicken the other was not. Go figure!

 

[kurczaki]

My two EE pullets will be 28 weeks in a couple of days and also - no eggs. Both of them have had red combs for 3-4 weeks. They seem to be small . They are about 3.5 pounds. Are they going to get heavier? Does the color of EE plumage has anything to do with the color of their eggs ?

 

[aart]

I tried the vent thing but honestly the distance between her two hip (?) bones didn't feel very wide to my unexperienced hand.

Compare her to another bird you know is laying.
Also, look at the vents. Hard to get all the fluff out of the way, but is very telling.

she is hiding them is there any where she can hide a nest

My first thoughts too.
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[alknoll]

Compare her to another bird you know is laying.
Also, look at the vents. Hard to get all the fluff out of the way, but is very telling.

My first thoughts too.
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

Thanks @aart

All birds did just spend a week locked in run/coop after a hawk got one of my bantams, but I could try that again. I could only find videos about the hip bone vent check. What should I see when I look at her vent?

 

[aart]

What should I see when I look at her vent?

Moist and wide for an active layer, tight and dry for a non-layer.
Not real descriptive, until you see it...then you go "Oh, Yeah!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[rosemarythyme]

They seem to be small . They are about 3.5 pounds. Are they going to get heavier? Does the color of EE plumage has anything to do with the color of their eggs ?

Some lines of EEs run "slim" based on the parentage of the birds. My current two EE hens are 4.5 and 5 lbs, so they're the lightest and smallest of the birds in their age group.

Plumage color has nothing to do with egg color. So far mine have all laid blue but all have different feather colors.

 

[kurczaki]

Thanks rosemarythyme. How old are your EE? When did they start to lay?