First egg

[chicken dust]

My chickens r 28 weeks old and still haven't laid any eggs I have a rooster so I feed them an all flock diet and sub calcium with oyster shells witch that have been eating and all their combs and wattles are now red the rooster has been mating with them they all submit to him but no one is laying eggs they get fresh water every day I only feed them watermelon on hot days and a mix of corn sunflower seeds and bird seed once in morning and once in the evening am I doing something wrong please let me know if anyone has any advice thank you chickendust

 

[chicken dust]

Thanx for all the responses

 

[aart]

Thanx for all the responses
A little impatient for a response are we?

Your post is hard to read with no punctuation.

Do you free range your birds?
They may be laying out in their range area.


Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 2-3 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it.

 

[shelby h]

I agree with aart. They may be laying elsewhere, or they may not be laying at all yet. My Easter Eggers didn't start laying until recently, and they're six months old, not much younger than your hens. What breed are your birds? I read that some lay later than others.

 

[gonnyto2]

don't lose hope....i just got my first eggs 2 days ago. my hens are a mixed breed and were 29 1/2 weeks old. i only have 4 hens but the 2 oldest laid on the same day, got 0 yesterday and then 2 again this morning. it will happen but it is soooo hard to keep waiting for the eggs when nothing is happening for so long. keep us posted, it won't be long now.

 

[chicken dust]

They are jersey giants and Iowa blues I check the yard every day and there's really no where they can hide them so maybe there late layers

 

[aart]

28 weeks isn't that late for those breeds...hard to wait tho.

Check these signs and if all three are present, lock then in the coop for few days, you'd be surprised how they can hide a nest.
Or let them out a late morning one day and watch where they go, if they're laying in the range area they'll probably be anxious to get there.

Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points to be the most accurate.
Squatting:
If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.

Combs and Wattles:
Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.
Tho I have found that the combs and wattles can look full and red one minute then pale back out the next due to exertion or excitement, can drive ya nuts when waiting for a pullet to lay!

2 bony points on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.

 

[chicken dust]

They are all sexualy active, when the rooster grabs them by the neck they squat and he does his duty, then they shake all there feathers. so maybe I'll try locking them in till late day and see what happens. thank you.