7 chickens 0 eggs

[chrissynemetz]

Can you try to get some pictures of the rest of them?

 

[Compost King]

I have new birds young 18 weeks they probably will not lay till spring just gets dark too early

Thats why I started hatching most of my egging birds in the fall so they hit 6 months old in spring when both the days are longer than night and the days are getting longer. I found they reach POL so much sooner and easier in those conditions.

 

[aart]

Agrees that acclimation, diet, illness, and time of year are all factors here.

its possible since you are free ranging that they are still laying but not where you can find the eggs.
do you have nest boxes for your girls in the coop? if so, try adding some golf balls and lots of straw to make them desirable areas for egg laying. Laying eggs outside and searching every bush, nook and cranny for eggs in not practical for long term.
i dont think the hen pictured looks old or unhealthy.
not sure where you are located but most chickens will reduce or stop egg laying in the colder months. molting also will interrupt egg laying.
not sure about the sneezing thing. just feed them a healthy diet and they will reward you eventually.

Time for an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
Then maybe:
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 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.

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @Catbunnychick
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

Thank you for everyone’s response! The pics are just in the past few days and they all look so much healthier than when I got them. I am very happy about that. I will get the meat bird food for them. They are such pigs! As much as they have to eat outside, I wouldn’t think they would eat so much food. I let them eat as much as they want in their coop. They eat in the morning and they all go back in the coop around noon for lunch. Chickens are just adorable! But eggs would make them even cuter... Oh - we do have golf balls in the nests and some pine shavings with hay on top. Also, all of the fields have been mowed down from what you see in the coop picture, so they can’t hide eggs out there.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

I see black on the chickens beak. Is there something on her beak, because it looks foreign, not part of her beak.
View attachment 1950258

They may still be acclimating, I agree. They may be older or younger than told. They may have had a poor diet and are just getting their systems primed for eggs with better nutrition. They may be older, but the chick in pic looks not so old.

I think that was just debris. Seems like they always get stuff on their beaks. You’d think she would have wiped her face off for the picture.

 

[Compost King]

I will get the meat bird food

There might be something better than meat bird feed for them, that's just what I do in that situation. I don't know what feeds are available to you and some of the feed experts might recommend something else like feather fixer feeds or all flock feeds. Maybe even unmedicated chick feed is perfect for their recovery before they start laying. I was just saying that there is no need for laying feed until they actually lay. I personally like meat bird feed because its what I always have in my metal storage cans.

 

[imnukensc]

Could be any of the reasons listed previously, but from your original pic it looks like you have excellent habitat for laying eggs where you can't find them since they're free ranging.
I wouldn't feed meat bird food. All flock or flock raiser with oyster shell on the side is what I'd do. If you didn't have a rooster, I'd feed layer.

 

[featherhead007]

its possible since you are free ranging that they are still laying but not where you can find the eggs.
do you have nest boxes for your girls in the coop? if so, try adding some golf balls and lots of straw to make them desirable areas for egg laying. Laying eggs outside and searching every bush, nook and cranny for eggs in not practical for long term.
i dont think the hen pictured looks old or unhealthy.
not sure where you are located but most chickens will reduce or stop egg laying in the colder months. molting also will interrupt egg laying.
not sure about the sneezing thing. just feed them a healthy diet and they will reward you eventually.

That's the problem with all my hens right now. molting and change of weather.
I love their fresh eggs but I love the hens with or without their special gifts to me!
My trouble is, they sure get funny looking when they lose all their feathers!

 

[imnukensc]

Replied previously, but just wanted to follow up. My birds free range for several hours a day, also and I thought they were all laying in the nest boxes. Found this today a good 50 yards from the coop next to my shed. Luckily only a few eggs in it. I'll check it frequently in the future since I know the same hen didn't lay all 4 eggs in it. They must've decided this was a good place to lay in the past few days.

 

[featherhead007]

That's one beautiful Barred Rock! or some other breed? can't see her too well