9 Months Old - no eggs yet

[RavenEh]

Hi Everyone,

I FINALLY got my first egg this weekend - from my 6 month old Barred Rock (a beautiful, large, solid brown egg - most eggciting thing ever!).

BUT my 9 month old EE (born Feb 2 - so 43 weeks old this week) still hasn't laid and doesn't look like she is ready to. Her crown is not bright red like my BR's was just before she laid...it's bright pink but not red. They have a dedicated coop and run, so there is no way she is laying somewhere and I am just not finding it. Also no sign of soft shelled/shell-less eggs, or egg eating (I am basing that on the fact that I am collecting eggs from my BR hen without them being eaten).

At what point do you worry that something is wrong? Threads on similar topics seem to say average laying between 18 and 32 weeks. I'm quite a ways beyond 32 weeks at this point, which is why I'm posting...if she wasn't otherwise completely healthy I would be taking her to the vet but she seems fine and normal. Is it possible she is still just not ready?

Thanks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have always found EE poor layers, and late starters and early quitters, some talk about how well they lay, mine have always been poor, they are bred for egg color more than production. The ones I had in the past didn't start laying until the following spring so don't be surprised if you don't see anything out of her until next spring.

 

[RavenEh]

Thanks for your comment! I had always heard they should lay by 7 months so when we approached 9 months I started to worry...but like I said, she is otherwise healthy. I'm relieved to know others have had a similiar experience. She is a beautiful hen, and I picked her because of that, so I am not too concerned about how many eggs she will lay - I was just more worried that she hadn't started yet. I will continue to wait then! Thanks!

 

[RavenEh]

There it is!! 10 months old and she FINALLY laid an egg!!! Beautiful!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congratulations

 

[orion141]

Congrats!!