Isa browns

[perryspatti]

Hello all!
We have 9 Isa Browns that should be laying. however only 1 is. she started out with tiny little eggs and now she is giving us a nice big brown one daily. but none of her sister are giving us anything! they are all the same age, although some seem to be more mature than the rest. This is my first go around with chickens. they free range during the day, eating under the hog finishing floor and rabbit hutch along with their laying feed and occasional electrolyte water. We have 23 wooded acres, although they stay on the edge of our cleared acreage and go back to the home at nite. Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks in advance.
this is the day we got them several months ago. Just love my girls and they love me too!

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Perhaps one or two is a rooster? Do you have any better pictures of individual birds?

 

[perryspatti]

Even tho these are my first chickens, my partner is a long time farmer. so no, there are no roosters, kinda wish there was at least one.
Thanks!

 

[Pugg]

With some chickens that i had in the past, they all laid at different times. My first girl laid and between 4 it took 3 months for them all to start laying. I know sunlight also effects egg laying.

 

[Ridgerunner]

ISA Browns are commercial egg-laying hybrids. I don’t know how old they are or how long that one has been laying but they are egg-laying machines. They lay a lot of nice-sized eggs. They are sex links so you will not get any cockerels if you asked for pullets. The cockerels would be white, not brown.

While it is possible the others are not laying, it is also extremely possible they are hiding a nest or two from you. It sounds like they may still be pretty young so it’s hard to say from here. If their combs are bright red and their vents are big, moist, and soft they are either laying or getting ready to lay. If you can, I’d keep them confined to the coop or maybe coop and run if you have one and see if your production goes up.

Congratulations on the one egg. With ISA Browns you should soon be buried in eggs.

 

[perryspatti]

Ridgerunner,
thank you. They will be 21 weeks old on Wednesday according to the person we purchased them from. The one has been laying about 2 weeks, wish I could post my pics here.they are all brown/ red with a couple that have nice little white feathers on their wings. They have not alerted to any other eggs and we have checked all their places. I will check their combs and vents today, although I'm not sure what a vent is! LOL! and we were told they were egg laying machines, which is why we are concerned. They had been getting pushed around a bit by our broody hen, but I think that's over with now. We isolated her. As I have said, they free range during the day, and they have a tractor at nite. They are always very anxious to get out in the morning. I may see about keeping them contained for a day or two, I know they won't like seeing the other 2 run about while they can not, so hopefully that won't have to happen.
Is it normal for them, or any chicken to lay tiny little eggs at first? the ones she did looked like easter eggers at first.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Smaller eggs to start with is normal. When she starts laying a pullet’s body is not fully grown. Laying smaller eggs to start with is nature’s way of protecting her until her body matures. The eggs will gradually get larger but you will see a big jump in size after her first adult molt. That’s when you will see how big an egg an ISA Brown will lay.

The vent is the opening at her rear end where the egg and other things come out. When an egg is laid the membrane that holds the egg actually comes out of her vent a bit to prevent it coming into contact with less savory stuff.

 

[aart]

Lock them all in the coop for a few days to 'train' them to use the coop nests.
I always kind of chuckle when people say 'we looked for a nest in the range area'....they are sneaky little cluckers.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 2-3 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. Fake eggs or golf balls in most the nests can help too.

 

[perryspatti]

Since my last post, 7 of our 9 have started laying. the two that haven't yet have very pale combs and don't want to be held, as the others do. We are consistently getting double yolks from the one that started first. The rest are slowly getting bigger. We were able to break our broody hen, (She's a black star sex link, about 4 yrs old) she's been out of solitary for a week and a half. I think someone said it could take 3 weeks for her to resume laying, so we'll wait a while.
I really appreciate all the help here.
I tried to get a pic this morning, it was too dark and I think I let them out too early for a few of them. I'll try again and see if i can figure out how to put one on here again.
Thanks so much,
Patti