chickens not laying??

[theduke300]

hi i have 11 buff orpington hens and one bff orpington rooster. i raised them from 3 day old chicks since march this year. they are fed laying pellets and what they scratch up from thier own run. i have yet to see signs of any eggs. i havent gotten any eggs at all. can anyone point me in the right direction on what could be wrong?

 

[math ace]

The weather... I feel your pain and am in the same boat...

When the shorter days and less day light, our March / April chicks are not showing any signs of laying yet.
Add to that situation, I have a yard FULL of older birds, 1 to 3 years old, that are MOLTING and not laying either!

I collected FIVE eggs today and that was from around 40 ADULT hens...

My free range areas look like a GIANT feather tic pillow fight has been going on. My birds look like they have mange or are walking pin cushions... Just ridiculous!

 

[fried green eggs]

Hi &

Are the hens combs red and kind of swollen? That is a sign they are ready to lay eggs. Have you put fake eggs in the nesting box to teach them where to lay eggs? The fake eggs also help so they don't eat eggs when they start producing. They are old enough so, my guess is they are eating their eggs or laying somewhere and hiding them. If you think they could be laying and then eating the eggs - You could blow out a store bought egg and fill it with mustard - they don't like it and then they will think eggs taste bad. Daylight time change goes into effect this weekend and for laying they need close to 14 hrs of light a day to produce through winter and shorter days.

 

[MamaRudey]

Buff Orpingtons are late bloomers.

 

[theduke300]

first post and already in love with the site! the quick responses are amazing and thanks for the warm welcome! im a 13 year old farmboy and this is my first crack at chickens, but i have these chickens, rabbits, and a few holstien steers i can proudly say are all mine! the feed bill isnt fun, but its nice to know its my own money going into them, not someone elses. sorry about the long, off topic post but just wanted to introduce myself. the chickens are exactly as you say. the combs are red a look kinda swollen. im 99% positive theyre not hiding eggs, due to the way thre little run is layed out. but the eating is a possability.. would they leave any trace at all if eating eggs? thanks again!

 

[fried green eggs]

Wow your parents must be really proud of what a Great kid you are! Caring for animals that depend on you for everything is a big responsibility but, it is also very rewarding in so many ways! I'm glad you joined us! If you have questions about your steers or other animals, I'm sure if you post in the Miscellaneous Forum / Other Animals on this site someone will be able to help you. As for your chickens - If they are eating their eggs sometimes they can hide the evidence well. Do you have them on layer feed now? If they are still getting grower feed ? They could be laying soft shelled eggs and they will eat them. You could do the mustard filled egg shell to test them - betting they won't clean it up if - they try eating it.

Take a video if you catch them eating mustard eggs as, it should be pretty funny to watch. lol

 

[theduke300]

thankyou! and theyve been on layer feed around a month now. all thier doing to the nests is dragging the straw out and scratching in it. i think ill try the mustard egg...

 

[fried green eggs]

Check what the protein level is on the layer feed you are using. It is possible your chickens need a higher protein level layer formula. With the time change this weekend and the shorter daylight - chickens need close to 14 hours a day so laying doesn't stop in winter. You could add a 40-60 watt light on a lamp timer for artif. daylight. The new bulbs that are 13 -15 watts and equal to a 60 watt incandescent bulb work well. Hope you get your hens off of welfare and working for you soon.

 

[duckie mama]

i use all the way crumbles, it is a start gro lay feed with 22 0/0 protein. it helps them thru the winter and low light times. also throw 1 cupfull of car food per 10 chickens per day. really ups the protein. out of 14hens i get.10 eggs a day. WELCOME TO Byc!

 

[duckie mama]

i use all the way crumbles, it is a start gro lay feed with 22 0/0 protein. it helps them thru the winter and low light times. also throw 1 cupfull of car food per 10 chickens per day. really ups the protein. out of 14hens i get.10 eggs a day. WELCOME TO Byc!