How to tell if chicken too old to lay eggs

[Hennyscoop]

Hello Can anyone out there tell me the best way to tell if a chicken is fertile and will lay eggs?. The person I got them from said that they were about a year and a half old but I have had them for 2 weeks now and not one single egg.

 

[SilverBirds]

Chickens will stop laying eggs if they are stressed. Since they were just moved, that is a big change for them and they may not lay for a few weeks.

Once they get settled they'll start laying for you again. Just be patient.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Its caused they moved I wouldnt expect an egg for another 2 week to a month

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Hello Can anyone out there tell me the best way to tell if a chicken is fertile and will lay eggs?. The person I got them from said that they were about a year and a half old but I have had them for 2 weeks now and not one single egg.

I think you posted twice I commented on other post

 

[Sara S]

It’s the move, they’ll start laying eggs when they’re ready. As for fertile, if you have a rooster it will happen, good luck with them and congrats on the new chickies!

 

[Hennyscoop]

Hey thanks for all the responses. I isolated them and turns out they are laying so all good there. Now two of our others seem to be 'Brooding'. They jsut stay in the coop all the time and when I take them out, they just want to sit like they are incubating an egg. We do not have a rooster.

 

[SilverBirds]

Hey thanks for all the responses. I isolated them and turns out they are laying so all good there. Now two of our others seem to be 'Brooding'. They jsut stay in the coop all the time and when I take them out, they just want to sit like they are incubating an egg. We do not have a rooster.

Put them in a dog kennel for about 48 hours. Make sure they have food, water, and a perch but nothing else. This will break most broodies. If you just let them sit, the eggs can go bad and possibly explode or your hens could sit for an unhealthy amount of time.

 

[Hennyscoop]

Put them in a dog kennel for about 48 hours. Make sure they have food, water, and a perch but nothing else. This will break most broodies. If you just let them sit, the eggs can go bad and possibly explode or your hens could sit for an unhealthy amount of time.

Hi Silverbirds, thanks for the reply. I am giving isolation a try. Have them in a dog crate (a big one) with food/water and perches. Will keep them there until tomorrow night which will be 3 days in the 'pen'. So far after 1.5 days, still no eggs from them.

 

[Kellow1]

Hey thanks for all the responses. I isolated them and turns out they are laying so all good there. Now two of our others seem to be 'Brooding'. They jsut stay in the coop all the time and when I take them out, they just want to sit like they are incubating an egg. We do not have a rooster.

You will need to put these hens in a "Broody Breaker" cage, off the ground, with nothing inside except the feed and water dishes. You can put a roost bar in it but no nesting materials.

 

[raingarden]

Hello Can anyone out there tell me the best way to tell if a chicken is fertile and will lay eggs?. The person I got them from said that they were about a year and a half old but I have had them for 2 weeks now and not one single egg.

The person you got them from has already exhausted their prime laying age and was ready to get rid of them because they were no longer economically efficient to feed. They were eating too much feed for too few eggs. They will continue to make eggs for a few years, but at an ever decreasing rate. They will continue to require as much feed as they ever did.