Chicken Not Laying

[eighthens525]

Hello! I'm a first time chicken mom and have 8 chickens that are now 8 months old and 7 out of 8 have been laying but there's one easter egger who hasn't laid yet. They are free range so there's a chance I'm not finding where her eggs are but I really don't think she has laid yet. She's also super skittish so I was just wondering if it's possible that a chicken won't lay in her first year or if she's got issues! Winter is fast approaching and daylight hours are shorter but I'm still getting eggs from most of the other hens. Thanks for all your advice!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My guess is that it is the declining day length. Her skittishness could be stressing her out delaying ovulation as well. But depending on your lattitude, your days could have shortened a great deal since summer solstice. When your hens reached POL it was August and already shorter days. For pullets reaching POL after summer solstice, one can't reliably predict when laying will commence. For pullets reaching POL after winter solstice, the increasing day length will likely kick start them closer to the same time.
There are two things you can do. Wait till days get longer or add light incrementally in the morning to simulate longer days. She may start without it but we're only a month from the switch so she may not lay till January.
I do worry about feeding young birds layer feed if we don't know when they will begin laying.

 

[eighthens525]

Thank you for your reply! That all makes sense!

 

[aart]

but there's one easter egger who hasn't laid yet.

Are you positive she's not laying?
Not all EE lay blue/green eggs.

An exam might be in order:
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.