It almost looks like lash material, but I've never seen it build up around the vent like that. So I'm thinking some kind of infection/inflammation, which would go along with the not starting laying. Is vet care an option for you? I think I would do as @Eggcessive suggested in her post above, see if you can remove some of that. If you can, pictures of what you get, and what the vent looks like after removal, might be helpful.