Egg issues

[Flockking]

Hello
So I have 5 pullets who are 9 months+ and they aren't laying
It's been 2 months since they've been squatting for me
Only my boss hen charming who layed forb3weeks and since then stopped
They are healthy agile, being fed with layers feed but refuse to drop eggs

What could be the problem here

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Hello
So I have 5 pullets who are 9 months+ and they aren't laying
It's been 2 months since they've been squatting for me
Only my boss hen charming who layed forb3weeks and since then stopped
They are healthy agile, being fed with layers feed but refuse to drop eggs

What could be the problem here

Is it cold where you live?
What breed do you have?
Have they layed before?

 

[Flockking]

Is it cold where you live?
What breed do you have?
Have they layed before?

Yh the air is a little chilly
I have mixed hens with a black sex link
Yes my boss hen layed early December but quited
But 2 other of my small breed chickens still lay though one is now a mother so not expecting eggs from her anytime soon

So just receiving egg form 1/8 hen

 

[fluffycrow]

Do you have a rooster in your flock? Appart from the older hens, are the other ones pullets?

 

[Flockking]

Do you have a rooster in your flock? Appart from the older hens, are the other ones pullets?

I used to have but he's gone now

Total of 6 matured girls and 2 pullets

 

[fluffycrow]

It's not unheard of for the top hen to stop laying when a rooster isn't present, although not too common. The pullets might not be ready yet. Just to settle this, can you post pictures of the combs and wattles of all of your birds?

 

[Flockking]

It's not unheard of for the top hen to stop laying when a rooster isn't present, although not too common. The pullets might not be ready yet. Just to settle this, can you post pictures of the combs and wattles of all of your birds?

Would take photos when I head to the back

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Yh the air is a little chilly
I have mixed hens with a black sex link
Yes my boss hen layed early December but quited
But 2 other of my small breed chickens still lay though one is now a mother so not expecting eggs from her anytime soon

So just receiving egg form 1/8 hen

sometimes when the weather changes from hot to cold pretty they will stop and start and stop again. One of my chickens started and then stopped again. You could offer them some more calsium and after that you will probably have to wait. A thing you could do is also add some light in their coop,so they think it’s earlier and summer. I wouldn’t recommend it bc chickens does need a break and I believe that chickens will lay whenever they are ready but some people do it at that’s also okay

 

[fluffycrow]

sometimes when the weather changes from hot to cold pretty they will stop and start and stop again. One of my chickens started and then stopped again. You could offer them some more calsium and after that you will probably have to wait. A thing you could do is also add some light in their coop,so they think it’s earlier and summer. I wouldn’t recommend it bc chickens does need a break and I believe that chickens will lay whenever they are ready but some people do it at that’s also okay

Cold climate doesn't really affect laying hens, I'd just say wait it out, but some photos would help

 

[Ridgerunner]

What could be the problem here

Where are you located. I'm not worried about the exact address but more interested in if you are north or south of the equator and what your climate might be like. Knowing that could give some really big clues as to what might be happening. It can really help if people put their general location in the profile so it is always available.

Ignoring the potential location impacts, one potential explanation is that they are laying and hiding a nest. That happens very often. Do yours free range? What does your coop and/or run look like. They can be very clever at hiding a nest in many coops in places you would never imagine.

Something could be eating the eggs. Many critters that eat eggs usually leave signs behind like broken egg shells or wet spots. In the mainland USA the typical critters that take eggs without leaving any signs behind are snakes, canines, and humans. I don't know what they might be wherever you are. If your weather is such that a snake is active, snakes typically eat a few eggs and then disappear for a few days to digest them before they come back for more. If it is consistent every day it is not likely to be a snake.
Here the main canine possibilities are fox, coyote, or dog. A coyote or fox would probably be more interested in the chickens than the eggs so since it is longer than a day or two it is probably not them. A dog could eat eggs and not bother the chickens. Does a dog have access?

A human doesn't have to be a thief. Some people think stuff like this makes a good practical joke but it would be unusual for them to keep it up very long.

It is possible they haven't started laying yet. I've had pullets go 9 months before they started laying although the circumstances were conducive to them starting much earlier. When those three actually started laying was the worst time of the year, when you would not expect them to start. Each pullet is different, they don't all start at the same time.

So what can you do? It depends some on how you are managing them and how much room they have. If they free range or have a large run where they could be hiding eggs, lock them in the coop or coop and run for a few days, provided your coop or coop and run are big enough. If you start seeing eggs that means they either just started, they are hiding a nest on you, or you locked out an egg eating predator. You can take an egg, mark it, and leave it down there. If it disappears you know something is taking the eggs.

One way to tell if a pullet or hen is laying is to check the vent. If the vent is small, dry, and tight she is not laying. If it is soft, moist, and kind of large she is laying. Once you see the difference it is pretty obvious. This does not tell you how often she is laying, just whether she is or not.