BLW not laying at 9months

[MollyHSmith]

Hi all,

I have seven Blue Laced Wyandottes that were hatched around Easter this year (mid-April). One’s a rooster, so six hens. Most of them are pretty dark, but two of the hens have lighter/almost lavender feathers with red lace. Those two, the lighter ones, started laying about a month ago, but the darker hens haven’t laid at all

It took some trial & error to set up a nesting situation that they felt comfortable with. I have nesting boxes, but the first girl started laying in a little nest she built under a brush pile in my yard I finally convinced her to start laying in the loft of their coop by loading it with lots of cozy wheat straw. The other hen has started laying there too.

I still have nesting boxes out. We’re in Central Texas, and temps have only hit freezing (31F) once this season. The days have been really pretty and temperate. I recently switched to a higher protein feed at the advice of a fellow chicken raiser at the feed store (and my ducks all started laying like two days after they switched over). Any ideas on what might be going on?! And how I could encourage them to lay? I keep roaming around the yard to see if they’ve made nests anywhere else but I haven’t found any.

 

[nuthatched]

It takes weeks after a feed switch for the nutrition to build up to engage laying, it was just coincidence.
Some birds are late bloomers, are their combs big and red? Have you done a vent check?

 

[aart]

I keep roaming around the yard to see if they’ve made nests anywhere else but I haven’t found any.

Time for exams:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Then.....
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.

 

[RojoMarz]

I have 3 SLW's that hatched on April 5th...only 1 is laying. I'm hoping as the day's light gets longer, the other two will start laying.

 

[The Birb King]

My lavender Ameraucana pullets that hatched mid March just started laying. Some birds just take longer than others

 

[Electric Chickens]

I have a blw that we got last Easter and she doesn't seem to be laying yet, either. I love to see these posts that say I'm not the only one. Our other hen (same age) lays in the coop, so Slacker knows where to leave them.