Hens not laying!

[Fuzzypea]

Hello Everyone! I have 2 silkie hens that are 19 weeks old, and four larger hens that are 22 weeks old. I heard that chickens usually start laying when they're 20 weeks old...

Am I just being paranoid, or should my chickens be laying already? (Well, maybe not the silkies, but the other ones?)

Please help!

 

[Don Jr]

They should lay any day now.

 

[Kittymomma]

It's more of a general guidline. It depends on the breed and indiviual chicken to some extent. Also as the days get shorter they're not as likely to lay. Some of my pullets have started and some haven't.

Make sure they're getting a good quality high protien layer mix and plenty of water though because not enough of either will inhibit laying. Also have you noticed if their combs/wattles are turning red? You should get eggs within a week or two of that happening.

I've been anxiousley awaiting the first eggs from all of my pullets too, but I've decided it's good practice for next year when I'm going to try to hatch out some eggs.

 

[Don Jr]

Hatching your own eggs is awsume!

 

[LegHorn-BusHorn]

Are they free ranging, and if they are they may be laying out there somewhere?

 

[technodoll]

I have five hens that are at least 24 weeks old, if not more, and not a single one is laying or exhibiting any signs of wanting to.

In order to get eggs, I had to buy 5 more hens from a friend (these girls had already been laying for a while and are the same age as the other ones) and now I have eggs every day!

Such a mystery... hope the "free loaders" start laying soon, aren't they a bit old to not be ovulating?!

And yes I have two roos in there with the flock - they don't act like roos though, except for the one or two cock fights they had to establish rank.

Sigh.

 

[Fuzzypea]

They're not free-range, but I do let them out once a day for about half an hour or so and watch them run around (surprisingly, they stay near the coop). And I've been checking around the coop anyway, just to be safe, but so far, no eggs.

Their waddles turned red about a week ago... I guess this means that they should be laying pretty soon?

 

[lindym]

Mine are 22 and 23 weeks. Several of my 5 girls laid sporadically 3 weeks ago over a period of 6 days and then quit

There are a lot of feathers floating around so maybe they are molting.

Linda, down the road in Olalla

 

[NCIndiaBlue]

My Silkies are about 6 1/2 months old, they haven't started laying yet either. I have asked others who have Silkies, and have been told it can take a year or more before they start laying. All of my other breeds, minus my bantam cochins, started laying months ago.

 

[ozark hen]

Out of 27 orpington hens.........I am getting 5 eggs per day

Now we all know orps lay all year long. I figured they were hiding them from me since they were free ranging but I have had them in their run for about a week now and still not getting the eggs I should be getting. No signs of molting. My young ones are just at laying age. I will not turn the light on to make the days longer. they get layer pellets and oyster shell ...free choice...24/7. Tonight I told them they could be following the cockerels in the separate pen if they didn't start giving me eggs! I will let you know if my little talk to them worked tomorrow.