Do some hens just never lay? (7.5 month old hen)

[kiwihunter8]

Hi all, first post.

I acquired 4 point of lay hens (2 leghorns, 2 gold comets) about six weeks ago from a fellow member. Everyone is laying except one hen - it's become pretty obvious which one - her legs are still yellow while everyone else is washed out. Her comb has also been slow to develop, but it seems almost as big as her sister's now (the hen in question is a gold comet).

Does anyone have any stories about their own hens being slow to lay that ended up being producers in the end? I think I read somewhere that some hens even take up to a year to get going. Google searches, I'm not finding a whole lot of information.

Has anyone ever given up on a hen and culled her for this reason? And how far along down the line did you take that action?

Not that I'm planning on doing that, necessarily. I was new to chickens til this year so I am just wondering how things are done in the chicken raising world at large.

Thanks!
Kiwi

 

[earlybird10842]

It takes some hens pretty long--our EE took at least that long. Is this hen an EE (Easter egger?)They are notorious late layers, along with a few other breeds.

How red is her comb?
Is she possibly laying somewhere other than the nestboxes?

 

[kiwihunter8]

She's a golden comet (red star offshoot) and she has a sister (who lays). Her comb has reddened in the past few weeks, so I'm hoping that is a positive sign. It's the size of her sister's by now.

I've poked around in the bedding some, thinking she might be laying there, but not seeing anything. No one has signs of egg eating. Plus, again, her legs are very yellow compared to the others. Apparently their legs turn pale after they lay awhile because all that beta carotene is going into the eggs.

I think I might just need to be patient with this hen.

 

[earlybird10842]

She's a golden comet (red star offshoot) and she has a sister (who lays). Her comb has reddened in the past few weeks, so I'm hoping that is a positive sign. It's the size of her sister's by now.

I've poked around in the bedding some, thinking she might be laying there, but not seeing anything. No one has signs of egg eating. Plus, again, her legs are very yellow compared to the others. Apparently their legs turn pale after they lay awhile because all that beta carotene is going into the eggs.

I think I might just need to be patient with this hen.

Yes, it does sound like it. If her comb has reddened, you may not have long to wait!