Hens not laying

[halleyd591]

Hi!!! I’m from NC and have a very strange problem...and I think I might be the only one to ever experience this!
I have 2 hens that are a year and a half old and have NEVER LAID AN EGG!!! I have 2 golden buffs who lay great. I also have 2 Silkies who lay well...when they aren’t broody or molting. The two that haven’t laid...one is a Polish and the other is a Dominique. They are healthy as far as I can tell.
I bought two more golden buffs to replace my “slackers”. They are 26 weeks and still haven’t laid.
What am I doing wrong?! The other 7 I have had the longest we’re raised together as chicks. There’s no bullying going on. They are in a very large fenced in run and have plenty of space/roosting space/nest boxes in the coop.
I haven’t noticed any signs of predators or any thing else that could be stressing them. They have constant access to clean water and food, dusting space, and I have boredom busters in with them as well. I have lost hope for the older ones who are a year and half old...but is there still hope for my new ones?
Any tips will be greatly appreciated. I LOVE my chickens and they are spoiled rotten. Just want to know what I can do to increase the chances of laying. They sit in the nest boxes but never actually lay.
Thanks so much and I can’t wait to get a response for my problem!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You say they sit in the nestbox but don't lay? I might suspect egg eating. A hen that doesn't lay won't generally sit in a box.

 

[aart]

What all and how exactly are you feeding?
How big is the huge run? Pics please?

 

[staceyj]

I'm in nc too. The South east.
Do your chickens free range at all?
Is anyone from your first batch molting?
Your new ones that are 26 weeks might be thrown off by the shorter days and may now
Hold off until our "spring".
It has definitely affected my girls production.

Question for the class:
One of my girls, who is floofy, occasionally hops off the nest too soon with the egg still wet and stuck to her. It drops off at the bottom of the ramp in
the run where oftentimes it gets cracked or broken. If I don't find it, someone else will and they eat it. But so far, they've always left the shell.
If there were egg eaters in the group, would they normally "leave any evidence" or no?

 

[aart]

Question for the class:
One of my girls, who is floofy, occasionally hops off the nest too soon with the egg still wet and stuck to her. It drops off at the bottom of the ramp in
the run where oftentimes it gets cracked or broken. If I don't find it, someone else will and they eat it. But so far, they've always left the shell.
If there were egg eaters in the group, would they normally "leave any evidence" or no?

This should really be in a new thread

 

[staceyj]

This should really be in a new thread

Sorry. I was more thinking out loud and was wondering if the OP should/would be seeing any hints of an egg eater in the group such as left behind evidence?

 

[halleyd591]

I don’t think egg eating is the problem...nest boxes stay clean and dry...I’m sure I would notice a mess at some point.
The two older ones from my first batch are going through their first “light molt” along with one of my Silkies (she hasn’t started laying again so I assume it takes them a while to start back). But they all turned a year old in July so they shouldve been laying before this molt anyways.
I feed Nutrena/Nature Wise 16%. I give them the occasional treats..left over veggies and fruits...meal worms...sunflower seeds etc. everything
I give is “chicken safe”. They have a flock block in their run. I have also given Feather Fixer Free choice during the molt.

 

[halleyd591]

 

[halleyd591]

I'm in nc too. The South east.
Do your chickens free range at all?
Is anyone from your first batch molting?
Your new ones that are 26 weeks might be thrown off by the shorter days and may now
Hold off until our "spring".
It has definitely affected my girls production.

Question for the class:
One of my girls, who is floofy, occasionally hops off the nest too soon with the egg still wet and stuck to her. It drops off at the bottom of the ramp in
the run where oftentimes it gets cracked or broken. If I don't find it, someone else will and they eat it. But so far, they've always left the shell.
If there were egg eaters in the group, would they normally "leave any evidence" or no?

I had a very sick chicken a while back that towards the end was laying soft shelled eggs. I saw her lay one in the middle of the run and the others ran over and devoured it before I could stop them. They left even the soft shell so I’m pretty sure SOMETHING would be left behind.