4H Layer Pullets still not laying at 27 weeks!? Help!

[Rooka_2]

Hatched June 7th and still not laying.
I bought these ameraucana hatching eggs from another province, we got 3 out of the 12 to hatch. That wasn't a surprising as they got delayed in air mail. The farm I got them from has amazing reviews, and gorgeous birds. Our other two kids chose to do a silkie and a black mottled Houdan this year, both those birds are laying.
Being in 4H for the 2nd year I knew to have a back up hen for eggs this year after our birds stopped laying right before district show from the stress of grooming them.
I'm 1000% certain these are both hens. But how can both of them not be laying yet!? The 3rd we got from this hatch is a rooster and he looks completely different, I'll insert a picture of him too.
They're in our show bird pen currently, in our heated barn so being cold is not a factor.
They're on 16% layer mixed with chicken scratch and BOSS. They have access to grit and oyster shells at all times. They get lots of dried mealworm/black soldier fly larve treats and they also get quite a bit of fruits and veggies as we are on the loop program.
I'm getting 6 eggs a day out of that pen but they are only silkie and houdan eggs. No blue eggs what so ever.
Of course 4h wants proof that they are laying as we are now into December and I'm slightly freaking out that my daughter is going to have to use a back up silkie which would kill her as she's been working so hard with her two ameraucanas. Help what do I do!?

This is Rupert he's most definitely a rooster, he's such a sweet rooster. Quickly turned into my favorite.

 

[nuthatched]

If you're in the northern hemisphere, it's the low daylight hours, that started reducing before they were old enough to lay.
Their diet is actually pretty poor, I'm sorry to say.

They're on 16% layer mixed with chicken scratch and BOSS. They have access to grit and oyster shells at all times. They get lots of dried mealworm/black soldier fly larve treats and they also get quite a bit of fruits and veggies as we are on the loop program.

You're taking a feed with the absolute lowest nutritional value that hens can lay and survive and diluting it with cake, cheetos and candy.
Get a nice layer feed, actually, they don't need layer until they're laying but get a nice feed with atleast 18% protein.
Don't mix in scratch and boss, they should get a pinch per bird of those things, twice or three times a week.
Same with the bugs. Those are treats, not a part of their daily diet.
They also need a higher protein diet since they're still growing.

 

[peafowl_Lover]

They're like my quail, they are almost 10 weeks old and they're meant to lay at 6 weeks! Yes I'm in the northern hemisphere definitely low daylight hours.

 

[WingItRanch]

They're beautiful! It's most likely they just aren't sexually mature yet. They're like people in that they mature at different rates. Some of mine didn't lay until after 30 weeks and that was with full amount of summer daylight. Depending on your location, if you have shorter days, the amount of daylight could delay laying until days get longer again.

I also agree that you should cut out all the BOSS and scratch. Those are treats and should only be about 10% of their diet. 16% layer is not exactly good for them either. It's the bare minimum in protein and it has extra calcium which they don't need until they're active layers.

A lot of people (myself included) will give 20% protein all flock feed with a separate side dish of oyster shell. They'll eat the oyster shell if they need the calcium and leave it alone if they don't.

 

[User690263]

I'm in the northern hemisphere and my 30 week old pullets haven't started laying yet, due to fewer hours of daylight. They should start laying in the spring though.

 

[Rooka_2]

Thank you everyone! I'll cut out the scratch and BOSS.
Would it help if I left the light on in the barn for a few hours in the evening or does it have to be natural light? We switched them from grower to layer in September when all the other hens started laying. I don't really have another pen to separate the two of them into to give them just the grower feed. Do I move the whole pen back to grower feed in that case?

 

[tlcmurphy]

Thank you everyone! I'll cut out the scratch and BOSS.
Would it help if I left the light on in the barn for a few hours in the evening or does it have to be natural light? We switched them from grower to layer in September when all the other hens started laying. I don't really have another pen to separate the two of them into to give them just the grower feed. Do I move the whole pen back to grower feed in that case?

All the birds can be fed Grower or All Flock feed, especially since you have a cockerel, he shouldn’t be eating Layer feed. Just have oyster shell available for them

 

[WingItRanch]

That's one of the best things about using all-flock or grower. You'd never have to switch back and forth. If you have chicks, older hens, roosters. They can all have it. I'm partial to Kalmbach Flock Maker but there are a lot of great options out there.

As for the light, some people do add supplemental light. I don't have electricity out at the coop so I'll let someone else answer advice on that one. Good luck!

 

[tlcmurphy]

That's one of the best things about using all-flock or grower. You'd never have to switch back and forth. If you have chicks, older hens, roosters. They can all have it. I'm partial to Kalmbach Flock Maker but there are a lot of great options out there.

As for the light, some people do add supplemental light. I don't have electricity out at the coop so I'll let someone else answer advice on that one. Good luck!

I use the same feed, love it!

 

[ChikaInu]

Also, extra artificial light from a regular bulb is far from the same as sunlight. Take it from a reptile keeper. You see it in horses, dogs and cats regulating their coats as well. The winter period is natural.

Just give the chickens time, explain everything to the kids and wait for spring.