Hens not laying, not broody, no chicks :(

[julesbug]

We bought 3 jubilee orpington hens and 1 rooster last March/April. At that time they were around 6 months old. They are in a nice covered 12x16 coop with attached run by themselves and I have other laying hens about 30 feet across from them. We bought them to have chicks and they have yet to get broody, they hardly lay any eggs, they don't use the nesting boxes and never have, and they don't roost (because the place we got them from had a weird set up). None of our chickens free range because of our dog. They are fed 16% protein pellets. I don't know what else I can say, but I have no idea why they aren't laying much, why they haven't gotten broody and had chicks. Any guesses/advice that could help me understand??

 

[Chickie friend]

Chickens will naturally stop laying when the days get shorter, do you supplement light?

 

[julesbug]

Yes, I know there is ebb and flow with laying... They have never layed well. Nothing like my other hens. That's not the issue. We want chicks.

We don't supplement light and don't intend to.

 

[bobbi-j]

If you’re not supplementing light, you’re going to have to wait for longer days for them to start laying again. There is no guarantee that they will go broody even when they do start laying. If you want to hatch chicks on your schedule, you’d better plan on buying an incubator and do it yourself.

 

[julesbug]

So you mean to tell me that chickens won't be broody or lay fertilized eggs unless I supp light? For years and years you mean to tell me that this never happened naturally? My older hens have become broody natural with no rooster in sight and I don't understand the rhyme or reason honestly.

We are getting plenty of eggs for eating for other hens...

 

[Chickie friend]

So you mean to tell me that chickens won't be broody or lay fertilized eggs unless I supp light? For years and years you mean to tell me that this never happened naturally? My older hens have become broody natural with no rooster in sight and I don't understand the rhyme or reason honestly.

We are getting plenty of eggs for eating for other hens...

No, just that they will naturally stop laying when the days get shorter and if you want to supplement light they will start to lay earlier

 

[TheOddOneOut]

We bought 3 jubilee orpington hens and 1 rooster last March/April. At that time they were around 6 months old. They are in a nice covered 12x16 coop with attached run by themselves and I have other laying hens about 30 feet across from them. We bought them to have chicks and they have yet to get broody, they hardly lay any eggs, they don't use the nesting boxes and never have, and they don't roost (because the place we got them from had a weird set up). None of our chickens free range because of our dog. They are fed 16% protein pellets. I don't know what else I can say, but I have no idea why they aren't laying much, why they haven't gotten broody and had chicks. Any guesses/advice that could help me understand??

Orps aren‘t amazing layers to start. And slow to mature. Egg laying may pick up in the spring.
They’ll go broody when they feel like it, and not a moment sooner.
Or they may never brood.
Though it’s likely they will.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

So you mean to tell me that chickens won't be broody or lay fertilized eggs unless I supp light? For years and years you mean to tell me that this never happened naturally? My older hens have become broody natural with no rooster in sight and I don't understand the rhyme or reason honestly.

We are getting plenty of eggs for eating for other hens...

They won’t go broody in the winter anyways, never mind supplied light or not.
Egg laying may improve.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

In the spring when the weather warms up, create a dark, comfy, padded space that is secluded. If you get a broody, separate her.
You can probably find plenty of tips for caring for Brodie’s on this site.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

So you mean to tell me that chickens won't be broody or lay fertilized eggs unless I supp light? For years and years you mean to tell me that this never happened naturally? My older hens have become broody natural with no rooster in sight and I don't understand the rhyme or reason honestly.

We are getting plenty of eggs for eating for other hens...

It’s not that. Not that at all.
Chickens slow down egg laying in colder months when there’s less daylight. It’s that simple. In the spring and summer they lay more eggs and are more likely to brood.