9 mo Brahma still not laying

[rehsanipoor]

I have two Dark Brahmas 9 mos old who have not started laying. Is this concerning? I have found one of them in the coop sitting on the dummy egg or other eggs that I'm pretty sure are not hers. Is it possible that now that winter months have set in, they will just hold off until spring? Thanks for any help or advice.

 

[NatJ]

Is it possible that now that winter months have set in, they will just hold off until spring?

Yes, that is very possible.

I have two Dark Brahmas 9 mos old who have not started laying. Is this concerning? I have found one of them in the coop sitting on the dummy egg or other eggs that I'm pretty sure are not hers.

Are you sure they aren't laying? Sometimes people think a chicken is not laying but later realize they were just mis-identifying her eggs.

If they really are not laying, I do not think you need to worry at this time. Brahmas are known for being slow to mature. So the combination of slow growth plus time of year (short days of fall and winter) might be causing them to be VERY delayed about starting to lay.

I would expect them to start laying as the days get longer in the spring (probably sometime between February and May or June.) If they do not lay by then, it probably would be time to worry.

It might be good to pick up each one and check for any obvious problems. This is a good idea any time you are unsure whether to worry. Look for any parasites (mites, lice, etc), check that she had food in her crop (if it is during the daytime), notice the quality of her feathres and whether her beak and toenails are a normal, see if her butt is relatively clean, etc. (Basically, check that she seems like a normal chicken. No need to overthink this, just make sure you haven't been missing something that should be really obvious.)

 

[rehsanipoor]

Okay, thanks for the advice. I will look them over and check their crops in the am. I appreciate your help.