Hen never started laying eggs and never molted (She is a year old)

[dogandchickenmom]

I have two easter egger hens. They are sisters from the same clutch. At about 4 months old one of my hens started laying and has been through one molt. The other sister has never molted and never started laying. My hens are a year old now... and they are both on the same diet. Does anyone know what could be causing her to not lay or not molt? And she IS NOT a rooster.

 

[JaeG]

Some pullets/hens won't molt until they are 18 months old, so your little non layer may be waiting for that timeframe. I've heard of Silkies taking forever to start laying, and we had a little Old English Game bantam who hardly laid an egg in her life (but she was so sweet).

Is spring coming up in your neck of the woods? Hopefully once the days lengthen your hen will start to lay. They don't tend to start laying in winter as daylength is the trigger.

 

[PirateGirl]

Give it another month or so. Don't worry if she is otherwise acting normal, eating, drinking, pooping. My last girl laid around the 11 month mark once the days were getting longer. Hopefully your girl isn't far off!

 

[Erin80]

I think she's ok. They all lay at different times for different reasons. My little Icelandic is on the bottom of the pecking order and was being picked on a ton.....we re-homed 3 of our top of the pecking order barred rock hens...and within a week or two of them being gone, my Icelandic started to lay (she's 10 months old). All the other pullets her age have been laying for months. I think for her it was due to stress

 

[dogandchickenmom]

@JaeG Yes spring is right around the corner so fingers crossed she starts laying!!