8 month old wyandottes not laying

[akirkley]

We got a small batch of Wyandottes (and a few others but they didn't make it) and added them to our flock of older birds. We got rid of a few of our older birds because they were 4 years old and had decreased their laying to nothing. Now, one of our new birds is a rooster. So we have two flocks in one group. The older birds and a roo, and the younger birds and a roo. In the coop they are fine, the Roos don't fight (pecking order is well established). When they free range, the younger girls stay around the younger rooster and the older girls stay around the older rooster. It is winterish- so my older girls just finished molting and aren't laying. They haven't laid any eggs since like May of this year (they are 4 years old as well but I didn't want to reduce the size of my flock by too much in case I had a new roo.) my new Wyandottes are also not laying at all. We got them as day old chicks in April. Added them to the rest of the flock slowly in June once they were feathered. What could be our problem? Is it the lack of daylight? Is it the split flocks? Are the younger hens scared to use the older hens nesting boxes? What can we do to try and get eggs? It's been almost a year and I'm so ready to quit buying chicken feed AND eggs.

 

[aart]

They can be slower to come of age, so to speak,
especially when they reach POL during the waning light of later in the year.

They also could be laying out in the range area,
keeping them cooped up for a week would 'force them to lay in the coop.
Could you post a pic of your new wynadottes?

 

[akirkley]

we don't let them free range but a couple of hours at most, so they are usually in the coop. We are giving away our rooster soon bc he sees my children as a threat, so we are hoping that'll help.

 

[junebuggena]

Do they have an outdoor run? If they are kept inside a coop all day, everyday, you need to simulate sunlight.

 

[akirkley]

The coop is open, they have sunlight in it. The coop never affected my first set of hens.

 

[Peeps61]

I have a flock of 33 - 32 hens/pullets and a rooster. All of mine are laying EXCEPT my four silver laced wyndottes. The are all locked in the coop except for one wyndotte that is a renegade I haven't been able to catch. I caught her companion this morning, so she's on her own outside of the coop until I can figure something out to catch her. I never see any of the others (SLW) on the nest, nor do they have red combs or wattles. I think they are just slower to mature.

Hang in there! It does get old buying eggs AND feed!