Hello everyone ! I have a silly question...

[elainehughes]

Hi, I think my chickens are about 8 to 9 months old... this IS my first time raising the lovely birds... I do not have eggs yet. Can anyone tell me what I have done wrong?? I do not have a rooster and there is a wild female turkey in their coop as well. I caught the turkey when she was very young and all of them have grown up together. I was wondering if it is the turkey causing the chickens to not lay eggs.? or do I need a rooster? another question... if they do not lay eggs ... could that cause them to become ill or have health issues? they are very healthy and happy and I think I am keeping their diets in check. I just dont know why I do not have eggs. Im not sure of their age either, some still look younger than the others.. idk.. LOL... looking forward to some advise... thanks :]] ( i dont know breed either. LOL)

 

[Dwkuska]

Hi, I think my chickens are about 8 to 9 months old... this IS my first time raising the lovely birds... I do not have eggs yet. Can anyone tell me what I have done wrong?? I do not have a rooster and there is a wild female turkey in their coop as well. I caught the turkey when she was very young and all of them have grown up together. I was wondering if it is the turkey causing the chickens to not lay eggs.? or do I need a rooster? another question... if they do not lay eggs ... could that cause them to become ill or have health issues? they are very healthy and happy and I think I am keeping their diets in check. I just dont know why I do not have eggs. Im not sure of their age either, some still look younger than the others.. idk.. LOL... looking forward to some advise... thanks :]] ( i dont know breed either. LOL)
<== I am no expert but that one looking at the camera looks like a roo.

Not sure on what to say. Is it possible that they are hiding the eggs somewhere?

 

[moomoodiddy]

are the days really short and are they about to start mottling or they might have a secret hiding spot

 

[marianne7]

They look pretty healthy to me, and to answer your question, no you don't need a rooster for your hens to lay...and having a turkey will not stop laying either....looks like you will have to wait it out....if you are not sure how old they are, they may not be in lay yet...so looks like a waiting game.....unless they are laying somewhere else, have you checked all around the coop for eggs ????

 

[7L Farm]

Where did you get them? They are all females. What do you feed them ? They look young to me.If you think their laying somewhere besides the nest boxs lock them up for a few days. They look healthy their wattles & comb are not very big or a bright red this tells me their young.

 

[elainehughes]

Im not sure about the mottling... Ive heard a little about that, and as far as the long or short days... I think we have more day light than we do dark this time of year.. but I will deffinately check for hiding spots. LOL. I didnt think about that.. LOL

 

[harleyguy927]

Wow, they should start laying around six months old. But weather conditions effect them a lot. They need about sixteen hours of daylight. And cold temperatures seem to slow them down. Also if they don't feel safe then they might not lay either. Have you had problems with predators? I have noticed my hens love to be out of their coop/run and go play in the yard. It is a treat for them, but they never lay in the yard. They only seem to lay in or around their coop. I've even seen hens run from the yard to the coop to lay an egg then come back out....lol. but all birds/flocks are different. And you need to be sure you have them on a good high calcium diet. Layers feed and oyster shell so their bodies can produce the egg shells.

 

[harleyguy927]

I must agree with 7lfarms, the hen in the corner in both pics. Looks to be no more than 4-5 months old at the most. I would watch the one with the larger comb, that will probably be you first egg layer.

 

[KYTinpusher]

A few questions:

How long have you had them?
What breed are they?
Where did you get them?
What do you feed them? If it is not a layer mix, do you have a source of calcium available?

I see you are in FL. Daylight and temperatures should not be a problem this time of year (well, I guess excess heat could be a problem). They look young to me too. A couple of them have combs and wattles that are getting red, so they are getting close.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

They do look young still. Did you get them as chicks?