How long do you wait before you give up on a hen?

[krickets]

I have 2 silver Ameracaunas that are over a year old and HAVE NEVER LAID. I knew that Ameracaunas are sometimes late bloomers, but this is getting ridiculous. They started to look ready just before everyone took their winter vacation, they had a minor lice infestation which I have taken care of but may have delayed them a little, and now everyone else has started up again and still nothing from these two. They are super flighty and seem stressed all the time, but for no reason. Anyone have any tips? Are they so inbred they are infertile? (they're from the same hatch, so it could be genetic?) Has anyone else had a hen take this long to get started?

I feel like I've given them a fair chance, but this is an urban coop and I don't have space to keep them around if they will never lay.

 

[BunkyB]

Wow, I have 4 Amaricanas and not a single one flighty. Actually they are the first to run at me when I climb the stairs to the second floor of my barn. They meet me at the top of the steps...lol

Well, you are right. They should be laying by not.Speaking genetics, did both birds come from the same person, same time? Yes overkill on the inbreeding will definitely cause issues. Seen it so many times over the years. Cannibalistic, flighty,infertile roos, dud hens...
When you say the birds are very flighty that throws me off. I am so used to the opposite, friendly and easily approachable. Maybe there is still something going on causing their stress. Critters of the night, a pet dog maybe, being chased around by an animal has lasting effects too. A number of reasons...

Just for the sake of knowing about the hens... stand behind the birds whether from a short distance, look at their legs to see if they are far apart when they are still. Non-laying hens from the getgo will have a considerably narrower space between their legs. A laying bird usually has a wider stance. Another suggestion (I was taught OLD SKOOL) I was given years ago is to vent check the birds by (it's gunna sound gross, but) Put on a rubber glove or clean hands, insert 1 finger, feel side to side gently to see whether or not she is tight or loose.

Gross, eh...lol I was taught by an old farmer when I was a lil rookie..I learned a lot from him. If the hen is tight and being a year old and narrower between the legs she probably will not lay. Loose birds usually indicate they are laying... Is there a chance the birds are laying eggs elsewhere? Hiding spot you don't know about. You say urban so I assume they are coop birds and not free range?
I have even witness several times when a person got free hens from a friend, said they were excellent birds, lots of eggs... Well my friend found out the guy got rid of the hens because they ate their eggs all the time. He never bothered collecting eggs as the chickens were really unwanted by him. Anyways they could even be egg eaters themselves and no evidence to be found? Egg shell anywhere? Wet spots in the nesting boxes...wet spots on the floors handy the nesting boxes. A lot of ifs and whens...sorry..

I will keep an eye on this post to see if they do lay or not Best of luck, Steve

 

[blondiebee181]

Wow, I have 4 Amaricanas and not a single one flighty. Actually they are the first to run at me when I climb the stairs to the second floor of my barn. They meet me at the top of the steps...lol

Well, you are right. They should be laying by not.Speaking genetics, did both birds come from the same person, same time? Yes overkill on the inbreeding will definitely cause issues. Seen it so many times over the years. Cannibalistic, flighty,infertile roos, dud hens...
When you say the birds are very flighty that throws me off. I am so used to the opposite, friendly and easily approachable. Maybe there is still something going on causing their stress. Critters of the night, a pet dog maybe, being chased around by an animal has lasting effects too. A number of reasons...

Just for the sake of knowing about the hens... stand behind the birds whether from a short distance, look at their legs to see if they are far apart when they are still. Non-laying hens from the getgo will have a considerably narrower space between their legs. A laying bird usually has a wider stance. Another suggestion (I was taught OLD SKOOL) I was given years ago is to vent check the birds by (it's gunna sound gross, but) Put on a rubber glove or clean hands, insert 1 finger, feel side to side gently to see whether or not she is tight or loose.

Gross, eh...lol I was taught by an old farmer when I was a lil rookie..I learned a lot from him. If the hen is tight and being a year old and narrower between the legs she probably will not lay. Loose birds usually indicate they are laying... Is there a chance the birds are laying eggs elsewhere? Hiding spot you don't know about. You say urban so I assume they are coop birds and not free range?
I have even witness several times when a person got free hens from a friend, said they were excellent birds, lots of eggs... Well my friend found out the guy got rid of the hens because they ate their eggs all the time. He never bothered collecting eggs as the chickens were really unwanted by him. Anyways they could even be egg eaters themselves and no evidence to be found? Egg shell anywhere? Wet spots in the nesting boxes...wet spots on the floors handy the nesting boxes. A lot of ifs and whens...sorry..

I will keep an eye on this post to see if they do lay or not Best of luck, Steve

Steve has great points....I agree...and the first thing that came to my mind was definately the egg hiding...though I have heard of dud hens before too. Good luck krickets

 

[krickets]

Yeah, there's definitely no hiding spots or evidence of egg-eating. There are other hens laying in there, and the others have no signs of stress or trauma. I thought flightiness was normal for Ameracaunas, so if that sounds unusual to you maybe they just have bad genes.

 

[omilona]

My first foray into hens 2 years ago I got started 4-5 week old pullets from a breeder in NY. The Cuckoo Marans 1 died and one has laid half dozen eggs in her life . My First crop off Amersucanas were later to lay than the Wyandottes the same hatch date. One has always been an iffy at best layer. The rest are fine. This year's girls I got 4 black Australorps and 4 more Amersucanas. Again the black girls laid way before these (this group definitely EEs. The last group sure match the breed page) Ameraucanas.

 

[krickets]

So, hens can read minds apparently?! Got my first pale green egg today. They could tell I was considering making stew, I suppose. Now I'll have to figure out which it was and keep an eye out for the other.

 

[blondiebee181]

Lol....yeah taking the cook pot out and banging on it with a ladle might not be a bad idea...there's a great thread from last spring where a bunch of us got on and ragged about when our hens would EVER lay.....and one person even had an egg Voodoo stick ready to wave around the hens causing some miracle of egg laying to occur....all a joke of course but we got a good laugh....I think it's called something something "...weeks and still no eggs, egg countdown anyone?" pretty funny. It's funny about y'alls Ameris....my 1 Ameri started a week after my Leghorn at 17 weeks and is super friendly and a great layer....