is it possible some hens never lay?

[catbish]

i have 3 each barred plymouth rock and cuckoo marans. all the bpr are laying but only one cuckoo, they've been at it for about 5-6 weeks. the 2 that are not laying look ALOT more immature than their counterpart yet they were all purchased the same day. Any thoughts?

 

[Momagain1]

They all mature at diff. times etc, just like humans!

As long as they are properly fed/watered etc, just gotta wait it out!

I've never heard of a hen not laying..

 

[LT]

I have two Cuckoo Marans, both born on the same date. They are 28 1/2 weeks. One of them laid her first egg on September 21, and the other one laid her first egg on October 21. It's true; even within the same breed they mature very differently.

 

[pgpoultry]

The only hen I ever had who did not lay had cancer and died of it at about 34 weeks.

 

[HHandbasket]

I had 2 hens that were about 8 months old and still hadn't laid any eggs. The wellie's face never even got red, never developed any comb or wattles, no signs of maturity whatsoever. The RIR was injured, dislocated her hip at around 7 months, and slowly went downhill after that. I had them both dispatched at 8-1/2 months (34 weeks) of age. The barred rock that I got with them did not lay until she was 36 weeks, then laid sporadically for 4 months, then stopped completely. Never laid another egg again. She died rather unceremoniously this past summer. She wasn't feeling well for a couple of days, then we separated her from the flock. She looked better, so we opened the carrier she was in so she could come out and reintegrate with her flock sisters. She walked out, and keeled over dead right there in front of us less than a minute after letting her out.

So I suppose it's possible, but I would not hold out much hope for a hen that never lays. It means there is something physiologically amiss.

I'm sure your hen will lay soon.

Hang in there!

 

[Mahonri]

I've had more than one hen who didn't lay after a full year. They were either rehomed or sold.

 

[justbugged]

It happens.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote:
Just curios, how do you sell a non-productive chicken? Was it a show chicken?

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I have a 2 and 1/2 YEAR old pullet -- an easter egger named Blueberry -- who has never laid a single egg in her entire life.


She would have been culled long ago, but she is the most darling little hen. She likes to be let out of the chicken yard to work the garden with my wife, and she has even gone to sleep on my wife's shoulder a few times. She and my wife have a special relationship. If I were to even remotely suggest culling Blueberry, my wife would probably cull ME instead....


BTW, one thing that is interesting to note -- she has lived with two different roosters during her life time, and neither rooster was much on mating with her. They'd mount all of the other hens, but neither one of them showed any interest in mounting Blueberry.


I know that male dogs and cats wait for the ladies to go in heat before they try to mate them. Is that true of roosters too? Do the roosters not care to mate Blueberry because -- for some odd reason -- she isn't "in heat" the way that most hens are?

 

[Blueicebird]

I have some 8 month old slackers too! Half my flock! I am getting impatient. One Silkie, one EE and one Tetra Tint.