Could this be the problem?

[SassyT]

I have 6 leghorns (the sextuplet witches) they are now about 23 weeks and have not started laying. We live rural in Arizona outside of Marana and the heat has been averaging at above 100 for the past couple of weeks. We have shade for them and put a little pool in their coop. I give them frozen melon and cold apples/grapes and whatever I come across to spoil them but still no eggs. A few weeks ago my DH bought me an BO (Lucy)and a BR (Ethel) that were about 10 weeks he added them to the flock and they have come to terms with the new set up but still no eggs. Is it the heat? could it be the new addition I am so lost and frustrated. HELP!!

 

[Southernbelle]

Frustrating, isn't it?

You didn't mention it, but do you feed a commercial grower feed for them? If so, than the balanced feed and healthy treats sounds like you're meeting their nutritional needs.

Are you checking obscure places? Not just the nesting boxes. I missed the first eggs my EEs laid last year because I didn't check the odd corners of the coop

Then there was the time I thought they were slacking off, only to find 3 dozen eggs in a little hidey hole near the floor

Do they free range at all? Free ranging is just another term for daily egg hunts

New additions shouldn't put them off egg laying for very long. You'll probably have more eggs than you can deal with very soon - Leghorns are egg laying machines!

 

[SassyT]

I am unsure of the feed we presently are giving them. Our neighbor gave us his bag of feed when he left his coop open and woke to no chickens. but when that is gone I am going to use layer feed. They do free range for about 3 hours a night after we get home and I have looked everywhere and nothing. We have two ladies that have extrememly red combs. And I keep watching to see where else they might lay but havent' found anything. Most of our yard is dirt (my little dirt farm) and the chickens love to get into the tree wells. My DH thinks that they may be eating too much dirt. Is that possible?