Are they ever going to lay, should I cull?

[LindsayB]

Quote:
That makes me feel better that I'm not only one waiting for what seems like forever. We had another group of hens 3 years ago of ee's that started to lay around 22 weeks. I need to stop comparing the ones that we have now to the old ones. I guess every bird is different.

 

[gryeyes]

EEs and a couple other breeds can take up to 35 weeks to lay. Sorry, that's just the way it is.

If all you want is eggs, you should pick layer breeds, not dual purpose breeds.

If, on the other hand, you appreciate the other benefits of having chickens (bug control, free fertilizer, wonderful antics to watch), just practice some more patience. I doubt you got "duds" which don't lay.

I could be wrong, of course. You just might be the extremely unlikely person who owns two barren chickens. Probably not likely, though.

 

[LindsayB]

Quote:
I never thought I would see a man talking about menstruating... LOL that made me smile!

 

[LindsayB]

I know the EE's can take a while to mature, but the barred rock "should" be laying by now. She must be a late bloomer I guess.

 

[featherz]

Some of us who are posting 'I got an egg' posts at a very early age bought hatchery production type birds - they'll probably die sooner too /sniff. My birds that started laying at 17.5 weeks to 19 weeks are leghorns and RIR, but I am not expecting my little EEs to lay for quite a while. they are lucky I got the heavy layer birds a few months earlier so they won't have as much pressure!

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have a group of Columbian Rock girls that are now 24 or 25 weeks old...still no eggs. BUT, Heritage breeds tend to take longer to mature. We are getting 4-5 eggs a day from the Dels and Rocks we have which is WAY MORE than we consume anyway.

PATIENCE grasshopper!!

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Look for hidden nest

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I never thought I would see a man talking about menstruating... LOL that made me smile!

Really? I found it somewhat tacky, and just a way to draw attention to his post. It certainly wasn't necessary in order to give information to the OP about when the hens would start laying, since the subject is chickens, not teenage girls.

I seem to recall that discussions of human sexuality are taboo here, for good reason, and menstruation falls under that category for me. (and I am not real narrow minded at all)

I think it would suffice to say all hens start laying at different ages, be patient. You will probably have eggs very soon. Do look to see if they are already laying around the area. My EEs didn't lay until 32 weeks.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Quote:
Ummm.... I think feeding layer pellets before they actually lay can be the wrong thing to do as the higher protein can cause problems.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

The main thing that early maturity signals in a hen is that she is likely to be more productive when she lays with a better feed conversion. (I've been reading up, OK?).

Also, a "slow molt" breed is more productive than chickens who do a "fast molt." They can lay eggs or do major feather replacement, but not both at the same time because both use a lot of protein.

It depends on what you want. I'm inclined to hybrids because I want an active, insect vacuum cleaner that gives me the biggest bang for my feed dollar and a steady supply of eggs from three hens. I'm also a fan of the late Professor James Dryden, Oregon Agricultural College (OAC is now Oregon State University.)