Black Sumatra STILL not laying

[EllieHasTooManyHobbies]

I have an 8 month old black sumatra that hasn't laid a single egg! Should I be concerned? She's healthy and happy and all my other chickens are laying steadily. I check the whole yard pretty thoroughly for eggs at the end of the day (I have a few girls that have made ridiculous nests in a few bushes) so I don't think she's hiding them. I'm just a little confused

 

[nuthatched]

Just be patient, sumatras aren't known for their laying and are slow to start. If you're moving out of winter, she won't lay until spring.

 

[NatJ]

I have an 8 month old black sumatra that hasn't laid a single egg! Should I be concerned? She's healthy and happy and all my other chickens are laying steadily.

I wouldn't worry for another few months. The days are getting longer now (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere), but some breeds seem to need longer days than others before they actually start laying. So I might give her until June (longest days of the year) before getting too concerned, as long as she continues to seem healthy and happy.

Is there a chance that she is laying, but not the color eggs you are expecting?

I check the whole yard pretty thoroughly for eggs at the end of the day (I have a few girls that have made ridiculous nests in a few bushes) so I don't think she's hiding them. I'm just a little confused

You can check her butt to see if she is probably laying:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Check a few you know are laying, then the one you aren't sure about. A non-layer tends to be pretty obvious after you look at a few that are laying. (If you have a rooster, he's a great example of a non-laying bird to compare with!)

 

[fluffycrow]

Sumatras aren't known for their egg laying abilities. Not concerning at all

 

[EllieHasTooManyHobbies]

I wouldn't worry for another few months. The days are getting longer now (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere), but some breeds seem to need longer days than others before they actually start laying. So I might give her until June (longest days of the year) before getting too concerned, as long as she continues to seem healthy and happy.

Is there a chance that she is laying, but not the color eggs you are expecting?


You can check her butt to see if she is probably laying:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Check a few you know are laying, then the one you aren't sure about. A non-layer tends to be pretty obvious after you look at a few that are laying. (If you have a rooster, he's a great example of a non-laying bird to compare with!)

That article is super helpful! She's supposed to lay white eggs and I can pretty much pinpoint the other hens eggs by now. But I'm glad it seems like I don't have much to worry about!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Should I be concerned? She's healthy and happy and all my other chickens are laying steadily.

Only if you're planning to hatch her eggs and care about the age of onset of lay in progeny.

Otherwise it's not uncommon for some birds to take longer, even than their same breed siblings.

For me personally, I don't feed "layer" feed to birds not in lay.. therefor use a "flock raiser" with calcium source available on the side.. as excess calcium fed long term to birds not in lay *can* (doesn't mean will) cause gout, kidney failure, and even death..

 

[CEW]

I have an 8 month old black sumatra that hasn't laid a single egg! Should I be concerned? She's healthy and happy and all my other chickens are laying steadily. I check the whole yard pretty thoroughly for eggs at the end of the day (I have a few girls that have made ridiculous nests in a few bushes) so I don't think she's hiding them. I'm just a little confused

Well sumatras start laying at around 7-8 months old plus the don’t lay a lot of eggs maybe 2 r 3
a week I see this post is about a year old so I’m pretty sure she’s lying now anyway