Is Cluckyunique?

[birdlover]

Clucky is a black australorp, almost 9 months old. She has not started laying!!! Has anybody else had a pullet go that long before laying? Has anyone had one that NEVER laid an egg? She is healthy and she has finished a minor molt. She eats organic layer feed, free ranges a couple hours a day, weather permitting and I have the time to watch them. I only have one other pullet, a barred rock, who is 23 weeks and hasn't started laying. They are BFFs. I've just about given up on Clucky!!

 

[sourland]

Can you post a picture of Clucky. Someone recently had a 6 month old hen who was making strange sounds - 'she' was a cockerel.

 

[thebulg]

I believe there have been many cases of hens who didn't lay until almost a year old.

If you can catch her, locate her vent. A laying hen's vent will be nickel size or larger, slightly open or very open, pink, and wet looking. A non laying hen will have a tight, closed, pale, very dry vent. If she isn't laying based on those signs, you can keep waiting it out or start looking for signs that she is a he (pics would help for sure!). If she is laying, she's hiding her eggs or possibly eating them.

There are some other signs of a laying hen like abdomen softness and space between keel bones, but the vent is probably the easiest because you can really see it.

 

[birdlover]

 

[sourland]

She is a hen and in apparently excellent condition.

 

[thebulg]

That looks like a lady to me. And she is beautiful. I hope she does end up laying for you!

 

[birdlover]

Thank you so much for your feedback! I hope she gives me an egg soon!!!

 

[donrae]

It looks like she's free range---have you tried confining her? Hens are great at hiding their nests

 

[birdlover]

She only free ranges when I keep watch on her a couple of hours a day. (Maybe that's not free range?). Otherwise, she and her friend stay in a very large chicken run, part of which is under our deck. I've checked there lots of times and, so far, nothing! I've kept lots of chickens in the past and I know the signs...squatting, worried clucking before laying, going in the nest box a lot, etc. the only sign so far is her comb and wattles are very red. I guess God is teaching me patience.