Help! Chickens will not lay eggs!

[paxicotrader]

Our Delaware hens are 8 months old (i.e. about 30 weeks) and haven't laid one egg. Anyone know what could be going on?

They are well fed, watered, free ranged. All our other breeds started laying at 5 or 6 months.

 

[Judy]

They may just be a bit slow to mature. Or you may be missing something - an egg eating predator, a hidden nest, etc.

 

[paxicotrader]

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We did consider the hidden nest and did an experiment for a few days to see. Kept them in the coop and in three days didn't get one egg out of 15 hens. We ruled out predators because all our chickens lay in next boxes in the coop and nothing steals them. Plus, we've got a great big Pyrenees that keeps intruders away.

I guess they could be slow to mature but everything I read online and in books tells me this breed grows and matures especially fast! Ironic....

 

[jossanne]

Are they hatchery or breeder birds? There's often a difference in maturity rates.

 

[J.Pryce]

Probably just slow. I have slow Barred Rocks only 1 of 7 are laying, 3 slow Marans, & 6 slow EE's. My Leghorns, SLW, & Isa Browns which are the same age (I have 9 laying) are producing- they just set a weekly record of 46 this week. I also have a slightly older White Rock that isn't laying yet either. That makes only 9/26 that aren't slow. I wish the other would get with it. My wife is taking & selling eggs at work & the 9 gals need help keeping up the demand.

 

[quintinp]

it could probably be that they are probably just nervous because their is a huge pyrenees dog walking among them, that is what i think, but they very well may be slow maturing chickens

 

[Judy]

There's also the longer days, of course.

Well, snakes can usually get by dogs, or at least they do mine -- sometimes. Also rats, sometimes. I just finished dealing with some rats.

Everyone seems to be complaining of no or few eggs lately. I got 4 today -- usual number is more like 10. I'm going nest hunting, but mine free range. And locking them in tonight for a few days, too.

So you're not the only one.

I've heard before of what the other poster said about hatchery vs. breeder Delawares, too.

Some posters seem to think that if they are at POL at this time of year, they may not lay til spring. I have no experience with this and no idea how true it is.

 

[gryeyes]

I'm sorry, but I just have this mental image of hens sitting on nests with their wings crossed in front of them, determined expressions on their faces, beaks set JUST SO, refusing to lay eggs. Nah ah. We will NOT lay eggs. You can't make us!

And they're right: we can't. They'll lay when they're ready to do so. They kinda can't stop it, anyway.

 

[Judy]

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Me too.

 

[paxicotrader]

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We got them from the Amish