Is my she really a he???? How do I know??

[tammyd57]

Maybe she's hiding her eggs in her crop!

Seriously, one or the other or both may be eating her eggs. She has the red comb & wattles of a mature layer and she is plenty old enough to be laying.

What are you feeding them? And do they have oyster shell available?

 

[kd949]

I mixed the oyster shell into their food. Is it suppose to be separate???? They eat regular old mash (our feed store only has mash, scratch and Quik-Grow Cracket (they hate this)) and some house food (they love raw oatmeal, mozzarella cheese, grapes, strawberries, apples) plus all the bugs in the yard. What should I be feeding them?

I think the there are only two possibilities- she is eating them (but wouldn't I find bits of shells??) or just no eggs yet. Her hen house is only about 6 feet by 5 feet tall. Not too much room to hide eggs in!! The EE was laying in the nesting box inside the coop, but the RI Red seems to have chased her out of there (to lay in an extra laying box I have set up outside the coop). The RI Red will sit for 30 mins- an hour in the hay...but nothing.

What do you guys think about the fact that she doesn't get into "the position" anymore when approached? The EE will assume "the position" if I approach her in the morning (wings out to the side, belly to the ground, bottom up...waiting for "mr right").

 

[tammyd57]

Give them the oyster shell separately from their food. If she isn't getting enough calcium she could be laying soft shelled eggs that they are then eating. And, no, even with a regular hard shelled egg, they will eat shell and all, sometimes only leaving a slight bit of slime behind from some of the yolk.
She may have figured out that YOU aren't Mr. Right so has stopped offering her favors.

 

[Chick CJ]

My sons RIR was almost one year old before she started laying and now she is laying some awesome eggs! If it isn't an egg eating thing could be she will start laying any day now.
CJ

 

[blsimpson]

Quote:
Yep, this is true. Sienna didnt start laying till recently. Honestly, when I first saw the pics, I saw the head, and said roo, but the tail feathers are off.. These are both of my RIR, Onyx, my Roo, in the middle..

Ben patient. I thought she would never lay as well, but its all in their time. They'll get there.