Getting Pekins Laying Again

[Joeschooks]

I’m temporarily (for a few months) homing a gorgeous trio of Gold Laced Pekins from a local breeder friend of mine. Apparently they’ve not laid in 12 weeks and I’m trying to sort that! I’ve had them 4 weeks and have been feeding them loads of protein, meal worms etc, plenty of fresh water, grit, oystershell. They free range all afternoon. Not hiding eggs or eating them. They did have red mite when they came to me but have been clear two weeks now. The boy is moulting but the girls aren’t as far as I can tell. They are two years old. Anything I’ve missed/any other ideas how I can encourage these girls to lay?

 

[aart]

They free range all afternoon. Not hiding eggs or eating them.

Ummm.....these two things do not go together
Meaning if they free range all afternoon you can't be sure they are not hiding them,
unless maybe you've done a butt check.
Is your friend sure they've not been laying for the last 3 months?
The move and the mites could have something to do with both then and now,
not to mention molting.
You're 'brave' to take on mite infested birds.
2 years old as in 24 months old or 30 months?

 

[Joeschooks]

Ummm.....these two things do not go together
Meaning if they free range all afternoon you can't be sure they are not hiding them

Haha, this is true but I don’t have lots of land so there’s only so many places they could lay I’m 99% sure. I always let them out around lunchtime when my other birds have finished laying. My friend is similarly confident they’ve not been laying. I’ve always had my eye on her pekins - such wonderful little characters - so when the chance came up to have them for a while I had to do it, despite the mites which I’ve now managed to sort. They are 24 months old approx.
I hope I manage to sort it since 6 of their eggs have fetched £68 on eBay in the past