I'm not getting eggs, but others are...

[mowin]

Buddy of mine ordered 50+ pullets for a few of us. I took 8, he kept 25, his uncle and cousin took the rest. They have been feeding layer for the past 4 weeks, and have been getting small eggs for the past week or so.

I've only been feeding starter, and haven't seen a single egg. I've checked every corner of the coop and run for the past week and nothing.

I've been feeding starter because it's what I've been reading on this forum, but I'm a little confused about why???

 

[blackdog043]

They will all start laying when they are ready, even the same breed. I have 9 pullets that are 18 weeks old today, I've gotten 4 eggs from them so far, in the last 11 days, one was today. I've feed nothing but 20% starter grower for the last 3 years. There is nothing magical in the layer feed that's making the other pullets lay and you haven't gotten any yet. Look up the layer and starter of the brand feed you are using and compare the tags. You will see that the calcium and protein are gonna be the main difference. Your feeding oyster shell in a separate container and your protein is probably higher than the layer feed. They need protein for eggs and calcium for shell strength. Hang in there, your eggs will come!

 

[Cryss]

How old are they?

 

[Cryss]

The layer feed has calcium. Pullets too young to lay eggs, cockerels, and roosters should not be fed calcium. That's why it is reccomended that you feed starter grower to everyone and offer a side dish of oyster shell to supplement the calcium needed by laying birds. Young pullets and male birds won't be interested in the shell so they won't eat it. If your birds are Pullets around 20 weeks old it would be time to start offering oyster shell in a separate dispenser or bowl.

 

[mowin]

How old are they?

The BR, BO, and Easter egger are 18 weeks. The RIR's are 20 weeks.

 

[jreardon1918]

18 weeks was when my first layered an egg. Last to lay was 6 months. So hang in there.

 

[Cryss]

Yes, I think you can start giving them oyster shell so that egg shells will be able to harden.
The only other reason at this point that I would wonder as to why they don't lay is...are you sure they are pullets, not cockerels?

 

[mowin]

The only other reason at this point that I would wonder as to why they don't lay is...are you sure they are pullets, not cockerels?

Lol, definitely pullets.

Going to get a bag of layer crumble today. I'll slowly mix in the 40lbs of starter I have left.

 

[Cryss]

Layer is fine as long as you don't add new young pullets or cockerels.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The birds are still on the young side for laying onset, and they're all individuals, so just because your friend has a few layers in his group doesn't mean that other birds from the same hatch batch will do the same.

I personally would hold off on layer until you see at least a couple of the birds squatting or showing other obvious signs of being close to lay, such as noticeably redder combs and wattles, interest in nest boxes, etc.