8 month old pullets who are not laying

[21hens-incharge]

I have a isa Brown and a gold laced Wyndotte I got them in March and according to the research I have done they should be laying they are free ranged and live in a 2 bird house with heat lamps what can I do to help them start laying?

A few questions....

What part of the country are you in/what are your temps there?

Why are you using heat lamps in a 2 bird house??

Are you saying the house is only big enough to house 2 birds and you are using multiple heat lamps?

The breeds you list should not require added heat. Heat stress can cause a lot of laying issues.

Perhaps @kaylapohovich needs to start a new thread to address her particular birds issues.

 

[kaylapohovich]

View attachment 1182221

I just saw at the bottom where you said it was an old pic of Thelma, here is a pic of my girl when she started laying. It's not the greatest, but you can see the difference in comb development/color

Thank you for the info, yeah big difference! I'll see if I can get a pic today, the sun goes down before I get home now. Shes 9 months old. Yours was 8 months when she started laying? Is this breed just a late bloomer?

 

[kaylapohovich]

A few questions....

What part of the country are you in/what are your temps there?

Why are you using heat lamps in a 2 bird house??

Are you saying the house is only big enough to house 2 birds and you are using multiple heat lamps?

The breeds you list should not require added heat. Heat stress can cause a lot of laying issues.

Perhaps @kaylapohovich needs to start a new thread to address her particular birds issues.

Oh, I didn't realize it was for an individual case.

 

[21hens-incharge]

No worries. It just gets difficult to keep things straight as not everyone realizes they are different flocks.
Sometimes very important details get lost.

 

[aart]

Oh, I didn't realize it was for an individual case.

Good Job!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ths-old-hasnt-started-laying-yet-why.1207293/

No worries. It just gets difficult to keep things straight as not everyone realizes they are different flocks.
Sometimes very important details get lost.

Well put.

 

[Lighteye]

I read somewhere on this site that too much protein can damage their livers over time, so I switched to layer for the majority; but I only saw that once. I thought they would also get plenty from eating bugs off the ground.

I also read recently that fruit can inhibit egg production. Is that true? They used to eat fallen plums during their first few months and they LOVED them. The plums have been gone for a while and we started giving them grapes off of a wild vine in our yard... it has been a while since they have eaten those too.

Is it true? Bcoz I had 10 hens who have developed Combs and run away to an abandoned lot that has plenty of mango trees. They would feast on the fallen ripe mangoes for months there. The place was fenced so they mostly just stayed there. No water or feeds. They just foraged and ate fruits. I was surprised none died when it was time to get them since the property was locked from the inside