Chickens not laying!!

[newbiechickens7]

I'm new to having chickens and seem to have a problem. My fiance and I got 2 Golden Comets in April. They are around 31 or 32 weeks now. However, they have yet to lay any eggs! We are feeding them laying feed and give them fresh water daily. They are not free range, as they are in our backyard and we have 2 dogs, but they have a nice sized pen in the back of the yard. They have a house with laying boxes as well. We put some golf balls in their pen & house to encourage them, but it doesn't seem to have helped. Please help us!

 

[Beckyinma]

How much continuous light (daylight and or artificial light) do the girls have on average per day? For laying to be sustained through the cold/dark months of fall and winter, many will tell you that the girls need at least 14 hours of continuous light per day, so you could set up a light on a timer to go on at 4pm (before dusk), and go off at about 8pm, which should sustain about 14 hours of light per day. Give them a few days to adjust to the new schedule, and you may need to physically put them in at night if the light goes off abruptly, and get them used to getting back to the roost at dark.

 

[newbiechickens7]

Well, we've had them all summer, and they never started laying for us, even when light was not an issue. Currently we have no light set up for them, as it would be difficult to run it to the back of the yard.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
The AVERAGE starting age of egg laying is 5 1/2 months. Your chicks were born in April. Add 5 1/2 months . . . and that makes it sept - october. They were due to start laying about the time the days were starting the shorten. . . On top of that, many birds go through a molt about that time and they do not lay during that time ( or laying decreases). Because they are so young, their molt may of been very light - - few feathers here and few feathers there . . . .

It does not sound like you are doing anything wrong - - just mother nature at work.

 

[Organics North]

Giving them any treats?? Scratch??? All those things typically lower protein...
Commercial "layer" may not meet their needs....especially if you are giving them low protein "treats".

Boost their protein!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ON