I think I have the kind of chickens that don't lay eggs!

[chicken quartet]

I have a 7 month old silky/ cochin cross bantie pullet, and a 6 month old GLW pullet. I have not gotten a single egg from either one of them!! I also bought some chicks from Ideal back in July and they all turned 16 weeks last Wednesday. I don't have any roosters. I know my 16 week olds are probably still too young to lay yet, but what about the other two?? My GLW has really red wattles and looks like she should be laying. My bantie doesn't look ready to lay at all and she's 7 months old! What the heck is going on?? I've decided that I bought the wrong kind of chickens... the non-laying kind! I think they are all a bunch of free loaders! I've been saving egg cartons for 6 months and I have nothing to put in them! LOL

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Silkies are not great egg layers to start with, on average 160 per year. They are also late bloomers. But don't give up hope. I have heavy breed girls that have waited until they were 30 weeks before their first egg.
Some people are lucky enough to have their hens start early. Still all depends on the breed and the breeding. Our best layers are our Black Sex-Links and the Leghorns. They all throw 5 eggs a week per bird. Next is our New Hampshires which averaged out is about 4 1/2 eggs per week per bird. Our worst layers are the silkies at 0 and Old English Games which are 27 weeks and no eggs yet. We are breeding and hatching Production Reds now for Spring and also more Black Sex-Links.

 

[conroy]

I have a 8 month old EE/Ameracauna and no eggs!!

but she's so cute we let her live rent free.

 

[swtangel321]

They will lay..... Keep telling yourself soon soon !!!!

 

[cmom]

Don't give up yet.

 

[dangerouschicken]

It took one of my EE's 7.5 months. They are just slow sometimes.

When I read the thread title I was thinking, "The kind of chickens that don't lay eggs? You mean roosters?"

 

[debilorrah]

I have a mystery breed that hasn't laid yet but one fart egg. She was full grown when we got her but no idea how old, but we have had her for 3 months. Chickens lay when they are darned well ready to lay.

 

[silkiechicken]

160 a year per silkie!!! Yeah right! Maybe a FLOCK of silkies! My darned girls lay about two dozen, decide they want to set for the next 6 months, lay another two dozen eggs, moult, and take the winter off!!!

 

[Livinzoo]

I feel you. I keep making excuses for my girls. I have 4 BLRW that are 26 weeks old and a blue cochin that is 27 weeks old.

At first I said, oh its too many roosters stressing them out. Well it has been 2 weeks since I moved the roos out, so I don't think that is it.

Then I said Oh wait I think rats are stealing the eggs. Caught 5 rats (2 boys and 3 girls) Haven't caught anymore in 4 days. Although I know there is at least 1 small baby that is running around in the coop.

So now what. Do they need the doors replaced with plexi-glass so they have more light? They have access to out doors any time they want it. I just want them to lay.

 

[what was i thinking]

i have one that resembles my ee. i got my hens second week of sept. the two brown ones (ee and mistry hen) were supposed to be 1 yr old. well i will get a green egg almost everyday when she is not playing hide and seek. which i am not good at, by the way. i have said several times, i can't figure out what eggs this one gives me. well the other night when they all came in, i did the pelvic span finger test. it wasn't three fingers wide, it wasn't two, and it wasn't one. that darn chicken aint been laying any eggs!!!! i have almost decided it is a he. but it doesn't crow or chase the ladies. so i would have to say, i have the non laying chicken.