I had to start over with brand new birds at my home in Little Rock, AR. I purchased some birds that came from an Amish hatchery in Missouri.. I got a few eggs the first days they were here which is rare considering most new birds don't lay for a few weeks. Now, I have not gotten any eggs in almost 2 months (three months for some of them). I assume they are molting because of the time of year but there's not hardly a feather missing from most of them and they are too young to molt. I got them along with a rooster so I can hatch my own babies to sell to cover the cost of feed. These hens are young. A year old. Born last summer. They are mostly black Australorp . Apparently this Amish Hatchery raised them to sell to the local hatcheries but none of them have been used in a hatchery setting because these are extra Birds that the Hatchery didn't purchase. They should be laying eggs. Does anyone know why it is taking so long for me to get eggs? I am feeding laying pellets--high quality. Some are free range but I have had a large group of them locked up since I purchased them and have not gotten a single egg out of those hens--NOT one egg. They look young so I believe their age is correct but I wonder if maybe the hatchery forced them to lay during the winter so they are no longer laying or what it could be. I have at least 70 hens all from the same place. They have been here mostly around 2ish months--a few longer and a few less time--and I am getting 1-2 eggs per day.
Several were locked up 2-3 months ago: zero eggs since the day that I got them. It is a group of about 18 Heritage RIR. I thought maybe some of the free ranging birds were hiding eggs so I started locking them up. I locked up one set in a big 2000 square pen. . That was a week ago. Zero eggs from them. I locked up the rest of the free ranging birds yesterday and got one egg today. When the free range, I was leaving them locked up until at least noon or later and I don't get over 2 eggs per day out of 70 hens and haven't since I got them. The feed bill is killing me when they are locked up. There is something wrong here. Someone please tell me why my girls are not laying eggs.
Several were locked up 2-3 months ago: zero eggs since the day that I got them. It is a group of about 18 Heritage RIR. I thought maybe some of the free ranging birds were hiding eggs so I started locking them up. I locked up one set in a big 2000 square pen. . That was a week ago. Zero eggs from them. I locked up the rest of the free ranging birds yesterday and got one egg today. When the free range, I was leaving them locked up until at least noon or later and I don't get over 2 eggs per day out of 70 hens and haven't since I got them. The feed bill is killing me when they are locked up. There is something wrong here. Someone please tell me why my girls are not laying eggs.
