Feminist Hen Refuses to Start Laying. Thoughts?

[aggielady]

The last two girls I added to my flock of 5 are now well over 6 months old. All are laying except my Gold Laced Wyandotte, Ginger. She was one of the fastest to mature: her crop reddened and grew and she started doing the "egg squat"- all over 6 weeks ago, maybe longer.
But then she stopped. She'll rarely squat, but if you reach for her now, she usually tries to peck your hand instead. She's been more aggressive since she matured.

Since then the last to mature, Patty (black Australorpe) has matured AND started laying about 10 days later.
Everyone is now laying but Ginger and she is getting flack from the other girls about it. She's now at the bottom of the pecking order.

She eats well and appears healthy and I can't find any reason she isn't laying, Why hasn't she started?

If you can please shed some light on anything I may have missed, it would be GREATLY appreciated!!

 

[Judy]

Hopefully, nothing is wrong and she is just a late maturing girl. Some hens never start til they are a year old. Unusual, but it happens.

 

[aggielady]

Hopefully, nothing is wrong and she is just a late maturing girl. Some hens never start til they are a year old. Unusual, but it happens.

That is comforting, thank you, Judy!
I'm a worried "mother hen" with my girls, and while I know each is different I found it odd that she's matured physically but not laid. My other wyandottes (silver laced) laid around 23 weeks in the midst of very cold and cloudy weather, so this is new territory for me.
Not much info about ones that are old enough to lay but don't.

I'm more worried about her health than production.

 

[Judy]

It's true that it could be a health problem, but I sure wouldn't jump to that conclusion yet. The thing is, other than eggbound, you can't do anything about most of those conditions. And it could turn out to be something that won't make it sick but also won't give you eggs.

I had a hatchery Wyandotte that I thought was male til she was processed, somewhere around 5 or 6 months. They can be tricky. When i had mine a few years ago, I learned the hatchery birds could have either of two different tpes of combs. Have you posted a pic of this bird in our What Breed or Gender forum?

 

[aggielady]

That's why I teasingly call her feminist.

She's pretty characteristically female. She will squat but only sometimes. My understanding is that males won't ever squat correct? I'd think she'd be an obvious roo by 7+ months?

 

[Farmer Viola]

definitely looks like a hen to me

is it possible she could have a secret nest? do you have the option to pen her somewhere for a day or 2 and see if any eggs appear?

 

[aggielady]

Great idea
I was debating trying that- maybe I should...
I've never seen her separate from the flock /sneak off and lay, though. But I'm clearly out of ideas so you may be right!