7 Month old EE not laying...

[RavenEh]

I have a 7 month old EE (she was born February) who STILL isn't laying. All of her siblings (they're still with the farmer I got her from) have been laying for a month to 6 weeks...but she is not. I've checked the coop inside and out and have found no hidden eggs (non of my pullets lay yet, so it's not like I'm confusing her eggs with someone else's - I have zero eggs!).

She is healthy though. She is clean, her feathers are full, her comb and wattles are reddish (dark pinky red). She is active, eats and drinks well. I'm really stumped!

I don't leave out crushed oyster because her feed has calcium in it, but will that make a difference? She has lots of space to roam (a 3 X 8 coop for four hens, with a matching sized run and lots of sunlight). Any hints to get my girls laying?

Thanks!

 

[rides2far]

One of mine hasn't laid yet & she is 7 months old. I think she is only laying a soft shelled egg every two weeks or so. I think she is just defective

I've only had14/14 eggs a few times. I think hens are like women. Sometimes they just have fertility issues. We'll keep her, I can afford to feed her

 

[Shima]

My EE laid one green egg about a month ago and hasn't since. Do I need to just cull her now or give her more time?

 

[rides2far]

I'd give her a little more time. But I'm a softy.

 

[aart]

I have a 7 month old EE (she was born February) who STILL isn't laying. All of her siblings (they're still with the farmer I got her from) have been laying for a month to 6 weeks...but she is not. I've checked the coop inside and out and have found no hidden eggs (non of my pullets lay yet, so it's not like I'm confusing her eggs with someone else's - I have zero eggs!).

She is healthy though. She is clean, her feathers are full, her comb and wattles are reddish (dark pinky red). She is active, eats and drinks well. I'm really stumped!

I don't leave out crushed oyster because her feed has calcium in it, but will that make a difference? She has lots of space to roam (a 3 X 8 coop for four hens, with a matching sized run and lots of sunlight). Any hints to get my girls laying?

Thanks!

She really shouldn't be eating layer feed with calcium until she starts laying...not good for their livers/kidneys.
Your run space might be little tight...but probably not enough to stress to the point of not laying.

Were her 'siblings' from the exact same cock and hen?
Even if they were, because EE's are a mix she could have different genetics that cause later onset of lay.


Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points to be the most accurate.
Squatting:
If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.

Combs and Wattles:
Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.
Tho I have found that the combs and wattles can look full and red one minute then pale back out the next due to exertion or excitement, can drive ya nuts when waiting for a pullet to lay!

2 bony points(pelvic bones) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.

 

[dekel18042]

I have a 7 month old EE (she was born February) who STILL isn't laying. All of her siblings (they're still with the farmer I got her from) have been laying for a month to 6 weeks...but she is not. I've checked the coop inside and out and have found no hidden eggs (non of my pullets lay yet, so it's not like I'm confusing her eggs with someone else's - I have zero eggs!).

She is healthy though. She is clean, her feathers are full, her comb and wattles are reddish (dark pinky red). She is active, eats and drinks well. I'm really stumped!

I don't leave out crushed oyster because her feed has calcium in it, but will that make a difference? She has lots of space to roam (a 3 X 8 coop for four hens, with a matching sized run and lots of sunlight). Any hints to get my girls laying?

Thanks!

I've had hens lay at four months five days old and others were over the 8 month mark. It just comes down to they'll lay when they lay. Right now I have some five months old, nothing yet but the last batch I grew out all started laying at the five month mark, but that was in summer and now the days are shortening.
I had gotten several chicks together and several were laying before five months this past summer (and are now mothers) while another I got with them hasn't laid her first egg yet at 7.5 months. Guess she's happy being just eye candy. (sigh)