Is there such a thing as a sterile hen?

[donrae]

Good picture! They're had to photo, aren't they!

Well, they're female and they sure look like they should be laying, from those nice combs. I'd check for hidden nests anywhere, they don't always know where to lay even with golf balls or other decoys. If you free range at all I'd quit that for a few days and see how things go.

 

[omilona]

Can you post pictures of them? Their ages might have been off when you got them and they may be younger than you think. We've seen that a lot on the "what breed or gender" board, folks think their hens are laying age and pics show they're a month or so younger.

I am into year 2 1/2 of the great chicken experiment. I have 1 Cuckoo Marans that has laid no more than 5 eggs her whole life. I have an ameraucana that laid indifferently the first summer, then nothing. I have 2 SLW which were laying machines the first year and are totally done now. With Tinsel setting on 11 eggs which look good candling wise (she's a machine). So if all hatch, it may be time for those other 4 to go home for dinner with Manuel the gardener.

 

[dokam]

any eggs yet? I got three chicks at the same time from the same store from the same bin. Only one is laying. They are all about 30 weeks old (we have had them for 29 weeks and I assume they were about 1 week old when we bought them). They are in an enclosed chicken run, so eggs are not being laid elsewhere. The other 2 watch the one hen when she is in the nesting box, so they know where to lay.

 

[AJ goats]

I have four hens - one black australorp, one red laced Wyandotte and two rosecombs. They're all the same age - they were four months when I got them at Mother's Day, which means they should be around 27-28 weeks. Still no eggs!!!

They eat very well - a combination of chicken egg layer feed, chicken scratch and recently some dried mealworms/crickets with each meal. I also give them plenty of greens from the garden. Blackie is quite friendly and definitely the "leader" of the other hens, but they all get along and there's no evidence of pecking.

I put a few golf balls in the nesting boxes to inspire them. I joked with my son I was going to put pin-ups of roosters in the henhouse as inspiration (haha). My husband threatens to have BBQ chicken here soon if they don't start laying (fortunately Blackie has won him over with her sweet personality, so she's safe from the Weber.)

I've read several posts and various websites for tips/tricks, and am starting to wonder if they're just happy eating and pooping and might never lay eggs.

Any thoughts?

I have 4 hens that I bought from a feed store. They are fully grown but my rooster ignores them . He doesn't treat them like chicks or pullets or roosters or hens. They are just birds to him he is not protective of them either.