9 month old chicken with no comb - dont think she is laying yet

[SDChickies]

This little lady (Darth Chickie) is 9 months old and never really developed a comb (though she does have a cute little mohawk). I've also never seen her use the lay box. Could her lack of comb be related to her not laying? (My other gals lay eggs regularly. )

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Pictures?

 

[SDChickies]

Pictures?

oops! attached now

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

This little lady (Darth Chickie) is 9 months old and never really developed a comb (though she does have a cute little mohawk). I've also never seen her use the lay box. Could her lack of comb be related to her not laying? (My other gals lay eggs regularly. )

She looks healthy enough.
And yes, i'm pretty sure comb size/colour is related to the egg-laying hormones.

 

[SDChickies]

She looks healthy enough.
And yes, i'm pretty sure comb size/colour is related to the egg-laying hormones.

Interesting. Yes, she seems healthy and full of energy... our other chickens are great layers. Not sure she's ready for chicken hormone replacement therapy...

 

[FrostRanger]

She has a comb, it's just a small one. Birds that reach laying age in winter often wait until spring to lay, give her a few months

 

[SDChickies]

She has a comb, it's just a small one. Birds that reach laying age in winter often wait until spring to lay, give her a few months

Thanks! We live in San Diego so "winter" doesn't usually throw them off. But maybe she's on her own schedule?

 

[FrostRanger]

Thanks! We live in San Diego so "winter" doesn't usually throw them off. But maybe she's on her own schedule?

It's more to do with the length of the days than the weather that makes birds slow down or stop. Some individual birds certainly do lay better in winter than others though

 

[Daisy June]

It's more to do with the length of the days than the weather that makes birds slow down or stop. Some individual birds certainly do lay better in winter than others though

Oh, wow, you're not kidding! There is no comb at all.

 

[GilmantonChickenMama22]

This little lady (Darth Chickie) is 9 months old and never really developed a comb (though she does have a cute little mohawk). I've also never seen her use the lay box. Could her lack of comb be related to her not laying? (My other gals lay eggs regularly. )

What breed/breeds is she? There are a number of different shapes for chicken combs and they usually match where/for what purpose the breed was created. Buckeyes and amerocaunas usually have pea combs, which makes them ideal combs for birds who can withstand harsher temps, as they are less likely to get frostbite. I have a few smaller chickens that have similar small size combs, and they are breeds that don't lay many eggs to begin with. Maybe 2-3/week? These birds usually are the ones I wait on the longest for them to start laying in the spring as well. Maybe she's not laying due to a combination of that breed's characteristics as well as what season we're currently in like others mentioned...