Four chickens and one egg a day???????

[chickntn]

Girls, girls, girls! My girls free range all day and only one is laying in the nest everyday. They are all 27 weeks old. One hen is laying in the nest maybe every two days. The other two hens have not laid at all. I have tried keeping them in their run all day but they seemed stressed since they couldnt free range. Do you think they are hiding eggs? Do you think my girls stress when they can't free range? Should they all be regular layers by now? TY

 

[Y N dottes]

u can look for hidden eggs, but it might just be cause they are still young and some tkae longer to start. i dont think they are 'stressed out' being in the coop, more likely just a little restless

 

[Charm1704]

Are they all the same breed? different breeds lay at different ages....and yes, they could be hiding their eggs..keep them penned up a few days to see then....wait till later in the day to let them out..

 

[chickntn]

I feel so guilty when I kept them in the run. One (Lucy) even flew the coop. The Buff Orpington is the every other day layer and she is huge. The black sex linked has been laying for a month. The wyandottes are uninterested in everything.

 

[chickntn]

So one egg again today. They stayed in their run all day.

 

[Chefalan]

Probably too young.. I have 5 comits and 1 buff. The comits didn't start laying until they were 9 months old. I have learned they like a consistent schedule. I keep mine in large enough coop / run most of the day and free range for an hour or so between 3 and 5. They look forward to getting out but always come right back because I feed them at a pretty consistent time. You might want to just try a consistent schedule.

 

[Chicks on DL]

Every hen is different as to when they start to lay. I had two that layed at 5 months and 2 at 6 months. I have a BO that lays about every other day so I that isn't unusual for that breed. My Golden Comet I get an egg a day and she will take a break only once in awhile. It is really hard to wait for them all to lay and the days are getting shorter. I know it sounds crazy but mine seemed to start right after a full moon (just like more babies are born on a full moon). Monday is a full moon so keep an eye out!