9 month old Buff Orpingron not laying eggs

[Shelleyict]

I have one Buff Orpington hen who is 9 months old that is not laying eggs. All the other hens we have that are the same age are laying. Is it possible that a hen will just not lay eggs?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are your birds confined? What are you feeding?

Some take longer to mature this time of year. Can you share a picture of her?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They free range during the day. They are eating Purina Layena along with oyster shell and table scraps and meal worms for treats.

She may be laying elsewhere if she free ranges. It's not uncommon for them to make nests in other places. Most of my buff Orpingtons have started at 5-7 months of age.

 

[aart]

Can you share a picture of her?

Yes, a pic would be most helpful.

I have searched and searched!

Might be time for an exam:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
Then might need to confine for a time.
Are your other birds laying in the coop nests?
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I hope she’s just hiding hers and that it’s not a health issue. Depending on where you got them, you might check the reviews on the hatchery and see if they often have late blooming Orpingtons.

I have a few Buff Orpingtons (from TSC/Hoover’s hatchery) of the same age and they are laying very rarely because of the lack of sunlight. I think it’s about 3 per week. You could try the trick with food coloring on the vent to see if any eggs are from her, with so few this time of year they could be hiding among the other eggs.

Also, I have found hidden egg piles under trees and bushes and inside the garage on top of a high shelf. There is no telling where they will lay if they have a large area to choose from! I hope you don’t find a big stinky pile of them after it’s too late!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'd guess she's laying also, and is doing somewhere besides your nestboxes. It can sometimes be hard to find nests. I've had them right in front of my face, and I couldn't see them.

 

[halefamily_flock]

@halefamily_flock, that sounds like an absolutely beautiful flock!

Thank you! I think so...

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Hi Shelley, I posted on exactly the same issue last month: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...cking-order-not-laying.1428422/#post-23524786

My BO is the same age and I don't believe she has ever laid an egg. She is at the bottom of the pecking order and always eats last, etc. She appears to be healthy but is very skittery. From what I learned, BOs often lay later, but, I agree, it is a concern.

 

[Mimi13]

All four of my BO’s were laying between 5 and 5.5 months. I guess every chicken is different maturity wise.

I have searched and searched!

And now you know why chickens have been around forever. Your girl most likely has done an excellent job finding her nesting spot, while keeping it hidden from you. Read about my experience with these sneaky creatures here. Chances are you aren’t gonna just walk up on the nest. I literally have watched a couple of mine, that I knew were not laying in the coop, going to their wayward nest. They don’t just run right to it, but rather walk like statues, as to not draw any attention to what they’re about to do. To date, I have found nests at the base of an oak tree, under a bush in my “fenced off” landscaping, in a pile of discarded insulation (no bueno), under a couple of different pallets, in a few piles of hay, and right next to an overfilled oil bucket (again, no bueno.) Just remember, if you let your chickens free range, some will most likely play the best game of hide n seek that you’ve ever seen.

She always seems to be on alert, scouring the woods around our land, and occasionally howling what seems to be a danger warning even though when we are all out with the chicks we can never see anything that could be a danger.

Trust me when I say, if a chicken signals an alert, there is a reason, one that you just can’t see, yet they do, without fail! Again, it’s an evolutionary trait that has kept them around for this long. I don’t believe chickens “cry wolf” to gain attention or popularity, it literally is in their DNA. It protects them, their flock and any young offspring. A chick comes out of the shell knowing exactly what each alert means.

Then might need to confine for a time.

@aart is right. I have had to do this a couple of times (with different girls.) We never know what makes them look elsewhere when they have what we consider to be the perfect nesting box. This most recent time, I believe my newest layers didn’t feel comfortable laying in the coop because of the over abundance of jacka$$ cockerels that liked hanging out in the run. There were 7 of them “waiting on their turn with the cone and scalder” that were just old enough to be a real nuisance to the younger girls.

 

[Shelleyict]

Here is a pic of her I snapped today.