How long to wait for a hen to lay?

[mrsmaonaigh]

I know I know! All girls lay at their own pace. But I'd like to know just at what point that if a hen isn't laying by then she could be considered a dud. I have a 9 month old girl who hasn't ever laid an egg. All of her sisters are laying or have laid an egg. She is an EE so I know they take longer. She has had a nice red comb for months now but hasn't squatted at all that I have seen. She doesn't act like she is sick and I've looked her over and she looks fine. I planned on giving her until spring figuring it might be the chillier weather that is putting her off but I don't want to keep an unproductive chicken around either. Thoughts?

 

[Cowgirl71]

Is she free-ranged? Or if not, could she be hiding the eggs somewhere in the coop/run? She may very well be hiding the eggs from you.

I have noticed BTW, that not all pullets squat...

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
I know, I know this is going to be a silly question but...could she be a he? (red comb and not laying). Heard anybody crowing lately?

I suppose that I would just let her be. She may surprise you.. eventually.

 

[mrsmaonaigh]

She is most definitely a she. And she is free ranged but my yard is not that big so there aren't that many hiding spots. We do check daily just in case.

 

[PunkinPeep]

If it's really important to you that she start laying now, you might try feeding her scrambled eggs in the morning. The protein boost and warm food in the chilly weather may help jump start her.

Then again, she may very well be waiting for spring.

 

[ChickieBerryFarm]

Ahhh...someone in the same boat as myself...sorry bout your luck! I too have an EE that is not laying...frustrating. Although she is only 7 months old, I thought for sure she might be laying by now. Her litter mate started a couple of weeks ago. Face is red...scratching around in the nest box...hoping any day now...and also hoping for one of those infamous blue/green eggs. My other one is laying pinky/peachy ones.

This is my first time owning EEs and I can't say that I'm thrilled with the "breed." They are very flightly and aren't very social...scared of everything...probably won't get any more of them.

Perhaps your chicken is waiting for Christmas...a nice present for you!!!

Good luck!

 

[sotelomary]

I have a glw that is 1.5 yrs. and only laid for a couple weeks. She hasn't laid in over a year. I have a slw the same age that lays an egg with a small soft spot. She lays very sporadically. She will go weeks without laying.

It is interesting that out of 5 chicks that I bought at a feed store, 3 turn out to be bad layers. That is a very high percentage to me. I don't know what hatchery they came from. Didn't ask and by now don't care. I won't be buying from them again.

Mary

 

[harewizard]

Let me ask you this....

How do you know she is not laying??

curious,
Lisa

 

[kbu]

my EE's all stared laying around 5 months, but they are with 10 sex link girls that i started getting eggs at 3 months from the first layers, so being around others laying may have helped, and it was the summer time.
light and acctivity can play a big part, protine makes the eggs, temp., and abuse from others (my low hen in the yard started laying last)
are you sure she is not laying, and you are just not knowing it is her egg? i have 5 EE's and get 5 dif. colors from them, including brown and almost cream/white (and pink, blue and green!)
good luck and hope you have eggs soon.

 

[Judy]

I believe it was speckledhen who said she had an EE who didn't start til she was over a year old. I have 4 and they are not good layers but they all started by 6 months. I had 5; one died, just was found dead in the coop one morning, around 20-24 weeks, I figure probably of an egg laying problem.