Late laying

[elight23]

Is it normal for some March born chicks to not lay the first year?

Neither my Americana or Blue Wyandotte have laid a single egg and they are 40 weeks old. The other three have been laying since about 18 weeks. Is this late onset of laying a sign that they are defective layers?

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I sure hope not! I have 40wk old Ameraucanas and 36week old EE that haven't laid their first egg. I have decided to stop worrying about it. Everyone says "they will lay'' so we'll just wait...

 

[dacdeihl]

It's like Field of Dreams saying "If you build it, they will come." Same with chickens... "If you have a hen...it will lay." HEHE

 

[mstricer]

My EE's havent started laying yet either. Some are about 36 wks. Maybe today. I think I'll go out and look now Bye

 

[gsim]

I got Buff Comets, Barred Rocks, Black Australorpes, and Rhode Isl Reds. Buff Comets started at 16 weeks and at 17 and 18th weeks all others had begun to lay.

Out of 24 pullets, I get 14-17 eggs daily at current age of 25 weeks. Got 3 newbies that just dropped first eggs on poop plank last night.

Never had over one at a time do that before so am hoping is not a trend but instead 3 newbies.

I am an optimist for sure.

 

[cybercat]

How do you know they are not laying? Since both lay a brown egg. If everyone is laying you will not get all egg in one day. I have 13 laying that i know of and only get 10 to 11 a day. Hens take days off from laying. Other than this try.

Are they on layer? Cut out all treats for a bit and up protien. Do not feed scratch at all. Add some Flock Raiser to layer see if that helps. Some breeds just need more protien than what most layers have.

 

[elight23]

I know they are not laying because I have never had a green/bluish egg and in the summer I was out there constantly and I know the other three were the only layers based on seeing them in the nests and and the number of eggs I was getting. Since the first three started laying normal sized eggs, I have never gotten a remotely smallish 'first' egg indication someone new was laying. Also, I can tell who's egg is who's of the three.
The layers go crazy over calcium suppliments (crushed egg shells) and the non layers hardly touch it.
I feed them high quality organic feed, with a small amount of corn, sunflower seed and wheat scratch. Sometimes they get kale/greens, oatmeal and kelp and cooked eggs - everything organic - so I am not interested in Flock Starter, but thanks for the suggestion.

I have never had pullets wait this long to lay, but I have also never had a Wyandotte or an Ameraucana. I have raised a variety of breeds and none has gone past 25 weeks. My initial concern was that these two are on the bottom of the pecking order and are ostracized from the other three, so I was wondering if that had anything to do with it. I also though maybe they are ostracized because they aren't laying yet and so the others haven't accepted them... they were all raised together as chicks.

 

[feathersnuggles]

My Blue Wyandotte hasn't started laying either. She's super healthy and big; the flock gets the same organic feed and lots of good protein treats. She was born right at the end of April. So that makes her...? I've given up counting weeks on the Dot.

You're doing everything right. Wyandottes are notoriously late to mature. Yours (and mine) will be record-breakers, I think. Figure they will lay by early Spring '10.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
I don't think it's because they are low on the pecking order. My Blue Dot is the top of the pecking order, though she is the only one who hasn't laid yet. My EE is lowest and she laid at 28 weeks. I just think it has more to do with the pace of maturity in each individual, and breed, too.

Also, I read somewhere that, if a chick born in spring reaches her point of lay around late fall/winter, she may wait until daylight begins lengthening again, next spring, to start laying eggs. So, if you're not adding artificial light this winter, that could be another reason why this particular bird and perhaps your Ameraucana, aren't laying yet. I haven't.