Chickens soooooooooo late to lay

[kingchicken]

I picked up three pullets in May to join my two older hens (3 or 4 years old). The new birds were 6 weeks old at the time. They fit in with the older hens quite well. The old girls are the bosses but they accepted the newcomers pretty well. The new girls are very friendly. They can be picked up and handled easily. Trouble is, they never laid a single egg all summer. My older girls generally take the winter off so now I don't even have anyone setting an example for the new girls. The older birds are of mixed heritage breed stock, australorp and...something. The new girls are plain old Isa browns. They had grower feed until 18 weeks then were transitioned to layer pellets. These birds (laying specialists!) are 7 months old now without an egg to their name. Any ideas?

 

[Callender Girl]

Wish I had some ideas! I got six chicks this spring, all but one are Czech breeds. Four have been laying since August.

The two Sapphire Splashes are sweet girls, but they are neither "splashed" -- both are pure white -- nor are they laying. At least they are the only ones I've never seen in a nest box, nor do they squat. I am hoping they are just late bloomers.

Good luck with your ISA's!

 

[BDutch]

Hard to say. Isa Browns lay normally after about 4 months as far as I know.

Maybe someone sold you something else? Maybe stress?

Post a couple of pictures of the pullets and you setup for better ideas.

 

[NatJ]

My older girls generally take the winter off so now I don't even have anyone setting an example for the new girls.

It does not matter whether they have any older birds "setting an example" or not. The pullets will lay when conditions are right for their bodies to produce eggs, and not at any other point.

But the short days of winter, that cause your older hens to stop laying, might also keep the pullets from starting to lay.

These birds (laying specialists!) are 7 months old now without an egg to their name.

That does seem unusual. They should have been old enough to start laying before the days got short enough to be an issue.

 

[EllieandOlive]

We had the same issue! It was so frustrating. I've raised them for years and never have seen such poorly developing pullets. I had a group of 24 gals not laying until 27-30 weeks! Insane. I think I've traced it to their feed. We were doing purina, or dumor/ producers pride or nature wise from tractor supply. I switched to a local feed supply who makes their own and my birds (they were on the cusp of laying, I mean, some still 30 weeks?!) They started laying almost immediately after changing. While I had birds laying, they didn't start laying regularly (I consider that 3-6x a week depending on age and breed). 24 hens at 7/8 months old and I'd get 3-5 eggs a day total. Switching the feed and a couple weeks later I'm getting about 20 eggs a day. Which is normal in the past for us.

I really think there are some ulterior motives going on behind the animal feed manufacturing scene. I can think of plenty of motives. But, I digress.

 

[Callender Girl]

An update on my two Sapphire Splashes, spring chicks who still weren't laying, although all the other same-age girls began in August.

Last week, I watched through the ventilation window as Cora repeatedly "tried on" one of the nest boxes. She would walk into it, settle down, get up and leave, then repeat the process. A couple of days ago, I caught her in the act! So, there's hope that Alice is laying, too, or will soon.

BTW, all six have been eating Purina Layer feed since they were old enough to switch to adult feed. The four remaining girls -- a Midnight Majesty Marans, two Calico Princesses and an Sapphire Olive Egger -- are laying four to five times a week.

 

[fluffycrow]

In 11 years of keeping ISA brown, only one laid at 5 months. All of them laid at 6 months or later. Be glad you'll have them for longer

 

[BDutch]

We had the same issue! It was so frustrating. I've raised them for years and never have seen such poorly developing pullets. I had a group of 24 gals not laying until 27-30 weeks! Insane. I think I've traced it to their feed. We were doing purina, or dumor/ producers pride or nature wise from tractor supply. I switched to a local feed supply who makes their own and my birds (they were on the cusp of laying, I mean, some still 30 weeks?!) They started laying almost immediately after changing. While I had birds laying, they didn't start laying regularly (I consider that 3-6x a week depending on age and breed). 24 hens at 7/8 months old and I'd get 3-5 eggs a day total. Switching the feed and a couple weeks later I'm getting about 20 eggs a day. Which is normal in the past for us.

I really think there are some ulterior motives going on behind the animal feed manufacturing scene. I can think of plenty of motives. But, I digress.

Maybe it was not the feed but a coincidence. If you want yo be sure you should feed half the group with feed A (purina) and the other half feed B (local).
But for most of us this is impossible. Interesting if you have 2 coops.

 

[WhoDatChick]

We had the same issue! It was so frustrating. I've raised them for years and never have seen such poorly developing pullets. I had a group of 24 gals not laying until 27-30 weeks! Insane. I think I've traced it to their feed. We were doing purina, or dumor/ producers pride or nature wise from tractor supply. I switched to a local feed supply who makes their own and my birds (they were on the cusp of laying, I mean, some still 30 weeks?!) They started laying almost immediately after changing. While I had birds laying, they didn't start laying regularly (I consider that 3-6x a week depending on age and breed). 24 hens at 7/8 months old and I'd get 3-5 eggs a day total. Switching the feed and a couple weeks later I'm getting about 20 eggs a day. Which is normal in the past for us.

I really think there are some ulterior motives going on behind the animal feed manufacturing scene. I can think of plenty of motives. But, I digress.

I am wondering the same thing! I have three new ones from April.. my EE started laying(although very late as well) but the other two have yet to lay! They are almost nine months!! I have never had this issue I usually get eggs during the winter with my spring chicks. So I am stumped as to why these two have not started yet! They are Prairie Bluebell Eggers.

 

[EllieandOlive]

Maybe it was not the feed but a coincidence. If you want yo be sure you should feed half the group with feed A (purina) and the other half feed B (local).
But for most of us this is impossible. Interesting if you have 2 coops.

I do have 2 separated coops! I could try it.