chicks still not laying!

[peep417]

My Chicks are 5 1/2 months old and still arn't laying! I have 2 barred plymouth rocks,2umm I forgot the breed lol they are red if that helps, 1 cochin, 1 I forgot the name again but she has an afro and is grey! When should they start laying? My 9 other 1-3 year olds are molting but I dont think my chicks are. I havnt seen any of my chicks feathers in the run-coop at all :/

 

[iwiw60]

Are your girls doing the "submissive squat" for you yet? When they do that's a sure sign they are getting close to lay. What type of feed are you giving your pullets? What type of feed are you giving your laying hens? Even though your pullets are only 5.5 months old, they, too, can go into molt...it's that time of year.

 

[peep417]

they will squat when I put my hands on them and pick them up. I feed them laying pelets and my chickens have been molting for over a month an a half :/ only one chicken has stoped molting and starting to lay

 

[peep417]

Pellets*

 

[peep417]

 

[iwiw60]

they will squat when I put my hands on them and pick them up. I feed them laying pelets and my chickens have been molting for over a month an a half

only one chicken has stoped molting and starting to lay

Well, there's your answer...molting is hard on their little bodies, so they're bucking up against two things...molt and getting close to lay...poor babies! Things should all straighten out as soon as their molt is over with...just have to be patient, which we all know is almost impossible to do!!

 

[hollymh]

Def the molting time of year, all 17 of my girls recently molted or came into molt and we actually had to buy eggs *shudder* . Laying has just picked up, I do have two free loaders who don't seem to lay and they just turned one, some birds just take forever to lay. I got my first eggs from my 2013 Fall babies in may/June, that made them all about 9 months old. Try giving some free-feed oyster shell and make sure they're on a good layer feed, then proceed to wait some more lol it felt like it took my girls forever.

 

[peep417]

I bought a bag of oyster shells but i'm going to wait till they stop molting to give them it.

 

[iwiw60]

I bought a bag of oyster shells but i'm going to wait till they stop molting to give them it.

Why wait? I'd give it to them free-choice now. JMHO

 

[DaveOmak]

Why wait? I'd give it to them free-choice now. JMHO

Give them oyster shells "free feed' all the time and crushed granite..... and since feathers are mostly protein, add extra protein to their diet.... they will replace feathers faster and stop the molt....