Its been more than 6 months and she has not started laying...

[HannahZuni]

Hello, I have a bantam cochin chicken, I got her in April when she was a few days old and have been raising her since. Last month she hit the six-month mark and I was expecting her to start laying. We did give her a few more of her own kind in September. We did a sort of decontamination period and added them slowly to get used to each other. I am scared that because we add the extra chickens that she got scared, or could it be that she is just not ready yet.

 

[R1V3R20NG]

Could i see a pic? There are also methods of testing when they are ready to lay. Im also wondering if she is laying somewhere she's not supposed to. I've had a few of those before, you have to train them by putting them where they are supposed to lay occasionally throughout the day. Now my chickens do that. Has she ever squatted?

 

[(chicken pun)]

She is probably not ready yet.

 

[sourland]

Bantam cochins are not high production birds. They are more for 'lawn ornaments' - start laying later and spend most of their time broody. She's just doing what her genetics dictate. She will lay when mature.

 

[R1V3R20NG]

hmmm, interesting. all of mine chickens have started laying between the ages of 5 and 8 months so far. Im still waiting on my dark brahma who is due within 2 weeks.

 

[jane s chickens]

Different breeds start laying at different ages. Length of daylight affects it too.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

I totally agree with @(chicken pun).
She isn't ready yet. Chickens won't start laying until around 10-12 months old. 6 months is a usually way too early to be on a full time egg-laying schedule.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hello, I have a bantam cochin chicken, I got her in April when she was a few days old and have been raising her since. Last month she hit the six-month mark and I was expecting her to start laying. We did give her a few more of her own kind in September. We did a sort of decontamination period and added them slowly to get used to each other. I am scared that because we add the extra chickens that she got scared, or could it be that she is just not ready yet.

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

It true, adding more birds could have a delay. But in addition to that, daylight hours are diminishing and that could also delay it a little.

The hidden nest another poster mentioned is a possibility. But so is simply not being ready yet as you note. Doesn't matter what statistics say, birds don't seem to get the message. And EVERY bird I have lays when they are good and ready. Even from the same breed and source have laid more than 1 month apart.

Be patient. Provide fake eggs in the nest, sometimes helps. Do your other birds lay in your nest already? And I'm just presuming that with how many other birds I see on your little signature thing that you would recognize if you had a cockerel by now??

Also, please note that if by 6 months you mean 24 weeks... that's still pretty early for some breeds and Cochin would be late layers in my experience. Laying can take up to 4 weeks after reddening up and squatting for some of my girls. And some never will squat! They also seem to cackle a little more or get a little more vocal if you will as they get closer to lay.

She is probably not ready yet, most chickens only really start laying when they're 10-12 months old. You might get an egg or two before that, but they start laying regularly at 10-12 months.

HUH! What kind of chickens are you raising? I would never, ever buy them again.... too much waiting for me.

 

[aart]

She is probably not ready yet, most chickens only really start laying when they're 10-12 months old. You might get an egg or two before that, but they start laying regularly at 10-12 months.

This is very far from factual.
Most breeds start laying between 18 and 28 weeks old.
A few may start sooner, some may start later.
Birds coming into that laying age range in the fall,
when daylight is shorter in duration,
may be delayed until days start growing longer again after the winter solstice.

 

[(chicken pun)]

@aart although this post was most likely not meant to be rude or harmful in any way, it did make me feel pretty stupid...