5 freeloading ladies

MichelleKing

Songster
Aug 25, 2018
207
341
132
Ohio
Have 5 ladies-
Ameraucana (born 06/18/18)
DeathLayer (born 05/22/18)
Orpington (unknown, 9 months about)
2 polish (born May 2018)

They all molted at the same time Sept 2018 to about end of October.

They are now ALL full feathered, gorgeous, shiny, and full of spunk. Eating and drinking, all dewormed before winterizing the coop, and no one is sick.

NO ONE IS LAYING. Not one gal. They’re all freeloading lol!

Now, these are my pets, so I don’t care too much. I love them anyhow. However, I feel like this isn’t normal.


**EDIT**
I am not supplementing light because I want them to lay naturally and when they’re ready.

******
Help and advice appreciated!
 
Last edited:
Have 5 ladies-
Ameraucana (born 06/18/18)
DeathLayer (born 05/22/18)
Orpington (unknown, 9 months about)
2 polish (born May 2018)

They all molted at the same time Sept 2018 to about end of October.

They are now ALL full feathered, gorgeous, shiny, and full of spunk. Eating and drinking, all dewormed before winterizing the coop, and no one is sick.

NO ONE IS LAYING. Not one gal. They’re all freeloading lol!

Now, these are my pets, so I don’t care too much. I love them anyhow. However, I feel like this isn’t normal.


**EDIT**
I am not supplementing light because I want them to lay naturally and when they’re ready.

******
Help and advice appreciated!

They will lay in their own good time. The breeds that you mentioned are not known as especially good layers. These chickens are eye candy birds and some of them are still under 6 months old. I expect them to begin laying in February to April. By this time one r more hen may stop laying and take a 2 or 3 month hiatus from laying and begin sitting and/or brooding.
 
Not at all unusual for 'late' pullets to not lay until the following spring. Patience, they will lay.
This^^^

However, I feel like this isn’t normal.
It's perfectly normal.
The molt you saw was the last juvenile molt(3-4 months old),
not the typical annual molt that adult birds go thru their second fall/winter.



FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.
 

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