7 Months Old And No Eggs

[goddesses]

Is it possible to have 3 chickens from the same brood, all sterile?

We have 3 Americana's hatched in early April that are not laying. I did check the bones near the vent and they are still closely spaced. Even with that evidence we have done a search of favorite places to be sure they arent laying outside the nest boxes, but no. Are Americana's late bloomers? Everything else is perfectly normal. Our other older (1 yr) Wyandottes were late by only a month and have been good producers ever since.

Goddess Mom

 

[houndit]

Are they true Ameraucanas or Easter-eggers? We have some Easter-eggers and they started laying pretty late.

 

[Pampered Chicken]

My chickens where born mid April and Just now when I went to lunch one was acting like it's going to lay. Finally!! The other three haven't done anything yet.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Are they squatting yet? My EE (sold to me as an Ameraucana) squatted almost 3 weeks before she laid her first egg. She was 28+ weeks old. She is the most recent layer in the flock. I think they mature more slowly than some other breeds.

But. I have a big and hearty Blue Wyandotte that has won our blue ribbon for tardy eggs! All of us are now waiting on her; she alone STILL has not laid her first egg. And she hasn't squatted yet either. She's the straggler.

 

[goddesses]

They are the real thing - Ameraucanas that is. We researched breeders to be sure. We did see one standing in a nest box last week - is that a hint? When you say squatting - how and when? Is it the submissive pose that chickens take, because these three have never shown any kind of submissive behavior.

We also have a light on a timer so they are getting 14 hours of light.

We put plastic eater eggs in the nests for the Wyandotts and they started laying within the week - at 30 weeks of age. I assumed since there are real eggs in the nests now, I wouldnt need to resort to plastic!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I have a few Americanas.....supposedly......idk, maybe EEers and they are about 25 weeks old.....still nothing. My RIRs started at 21 wks, but that was only the early bloomers. They are now 29 weeks old and still most of them haven't given me an egg, as of yet. I guess I could have forced more out of them, with layers pellets, but I make them cut the grass for me and find bugs. I guess with a lot of patience, all of us will eventually be happy with our birds. If only they really would ALL produce at that magic 20 weeks, we would all be spoiled.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
Yep, squatting is the "crouch down" thing they do, when you wave your hand over their back. My EE fussed around in the nest boxes for a couple months before she laid her first. She also would stand and stare, or touch her beak on anyone else's freshly laid warm egg, long before she began squatting. When she finally squatted the first time, I thought she'd lay soon, like the others. But it still took longer for her. However, now that she's begun, she hasn't had any trouble laying her eggs.

As long as you're giving them high quality feed, free choice oyster shell, clean water, etc, it's just a matter of time. For me, I know it's just something about my individual wyandotte's developmental path - since everyone in this flock gets the same feed, free choice shell, clean water, extra protein treats, free-ranging time, etc.

Hang in there!