Chicken Hasn't Laid Yet...Dud?

[elizacharvey]

Purchased this Langshan in May 2018. At the time, she was 2 months old. So now she should be almost a year old. She has never laid an egg (positive she hasn't laid yet). She also just doesn't seem to be developing past how she looks now (pic attached).

All other hens purchased at the same time and around the same age are laying (Barred Rock, Sussex, Easter Egger, Hamburg, and Red Sex Link) and have been laying for awhile.

Is she a dud? Or should I give her a bit more time?

 

[azygous]

Where on the planet Earth do you live? If you are in the northern half, our days are still in the process of growing longer. Longer days mean more light exposure, and it takes at the very minimum 12 hours of daylight to trigger laying hormones. Some hens require less and some require as much as 14 hours before their hormones get activated. I just had an older hen start laying today after her long winter vacation. She's taken longer than most of my other layers to start up again.

So, I recommend patience. Check her diet. Be sure she's getting a balanced diet with adequate protein and calcium, and not eating so many treats that she's not getting the nutrients her body needs to build eggs.

 

[TashaFrancois]

I would agree to keep her a healthy plump and warm. No need to stress yet. I had two hens from the same parents and hatch lay 3 months apart. There are always late bloomers. I’m glad you are paying such good attention though. Signs of a very good chicken mama I think.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

x2
A chick hatched in March 2018 would mature through the summer months only to come almost to point of lay (about 6 to 8 months...Langshans take awhile longer than average) when the days are growing shorter if you are in the Northern Hemisphere.

So this hen would have been coming into maturity at about October or November.

Again, if northern hemisphere, days are still shorter, so you probably won't see an egg until about April for the first hen.

Make sure she has enough calcium in her diet, as she is a larger breed, and enough protein. Free feed oyster could help.

So wait...it's very frustrating with spring chicks who take a bit longer to mature...you won't see eggs for almost a year sometimes.

Do check for external and internal parasites, just to be sure those aren't dragging her system down.

LofMc

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x all of the above

 

[Perris]

Hello @elizacharvey ! welcome to BYC I concur with all the above responses. My late bloomer started last week, at 50 weeks old, despite her sister (same breed, same conditions, same age) starting in late December, so at least some of the variation is down to individual idiosyncrasies!

 

[Kris5902]

I agree... you have an investment in this hen, give her time. She could just be a late bloomer. If, by the next atumnal equinox (reasoning being going into shorter days again), you still haven’t seen an egg and she’s heading into her second winter without laying... then I would cull.

 

[aart]

She has never laid an egg (positive she hasn't laid yet).

How are you positive she hasn't laid?
She sure looks 'red' enough.
Looks like you free range?
They are very good at hiding a nest.

Time to check pelvic points:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
Then maybe:
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 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.

Oh, and, Welcome to BYC!
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[elizacharvey]

How are you positive she hasn't laid?
She sure looks 'red' enough.
Looks like you free range?
They are very good at hiding a nest.

The picture is misleading! They aren’t free range. We have a problem neighbor with a problem dog, and after the problem dog killed our chicken while free ranging, I now only let them out when I’m in the yard with them. Otherwise, they are in their “Chicken McMansion” (coop with a run and then a tunnel to a larger run....about 300sd ft total area I think). So, no hidden nests. We’ve been lucky in that all our girls are great about laying in the best box.

She’s also been this red for awhile, and her comb has been that same size since about Sept/Oct last year. I just haven’t seen much development like the other ladies (Although they are all different breeds so realize I can’t directly compare).

And we live in Austin, TX (will update that!).

It sounds like I just need to give her more time! Will try to be more patient.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Yup, raising chickens teaches patience but that 1st egg is always so exciting. My GrandDaughter called today (FL) she found 7 eggs her Silkie hid. They have a cockerel too but after instructions on how to candle, all eggs were clear. They're her FFA project, placed 2nd in their first Poultry Show last month.