Is she a dud?

[Bandit]

My BO is supposed to be about 2 years old. When I got her she looked little and young but they swore she was laying eggs. Well, she wasn't. Her "sister", also a BO got at the same time has a mature looking body and lays all the time and has a large red comb. Little Ginger has a pale pink comb and only in the last month has finally filled out to look mature. I've had her 6 months! Is she ever going to grow up or will she be little ditzy Ginger her whole life and never lay eggs?

 

[CMV]

Well, several things are probably going on with Ginger. First the move to a different home threw her for a loop. Birds suffer some stress when they are moved and can take up to a couple months to get back on track. The stress from the move probably brought on a molt which is the reason she looked a bit small. Molting also pretty much stops egg production until the molt is over, so there's another month or two of not laying. And finally it's winter. Decrease in light equals decrease in egg production. Some folks opt to add supplemental lighting this time of year to increase production. If Ginger isn't getting 14-16 hours of light then she's in no hurry to lay.

I don't think Ginger is a dud, but several things have conspired to make her seem so. Two year old hens do not lay as much as younger birds, but you should still be getting some eggs. Add some protein to her diet-scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, small amounts cat food, plain yogurt, mealy worms- and see if that kick starts the laying. I don't ever use supplemental lighting myself, but I know lots do, so you will have to decide if that's right for you. As she gets ready to lay, Ginger's comb should get redder and redder. So if you've noticed that she seems to be getting more red and less pink then she's gearing up.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

 

[cybercat]

Sounds to me like Ginger was very young and the people were mistaken on her laying. Unless they trap nest they would not know who laid what. BO are slow to mature and so so layers. It can be a hit or miss with them as there is no production strain like in other breeds. Take heart though it sounds like she is getting close to laying. So uping protien will not hurt.