Layers not laying! Impatient first-timer?

[mad4chicks]

First, I love BYC!

We got two pullets (around 8 months old: one rhode island red sexlinked, and one leghorn) and two 2 month old plymouth "barred" rocks. Since then, we have added 3 more young chicks to the flock (although we put them back in isolation as they proved to be clever escape artists -- so waiting for them to grow a bit before re-introducing).

Here is our dilemma. The pullets had been laying for months according to the breeder (who showed us the booty -- around 100 eggs a day), and we got our first egg the first night. Since then, not a one... We figured there must be some "adjustment" period, but its been 3 weeks without another egg. They've got a lot of space (few hundred sq. ft) and access to fresh food and water.

Are we doing something wrong? Or are we just impatient?

Oh, and much too our dismay/amusement, the two pullets have been sleeping in the nestboxes. We have 3 nestboxes, and both the leghorn and RIR (Snowball and Ringo) sleep together in the same one. They are best friends now (after some early bullying by Snowball)!

 

[Cotton42]

First, I love BYC!

We got two pullets (around 8 months old: one rhode island red sexlinked, and one leghorn) and two 2 month old plymouth "barred" rocks. Since then, we have added 3 more young chicks to the flock (although we put them back in isolation as they proved to be clever escape artists -- so waiting for them to grow a bit before re-introducing).

Here is our dilemma. The pullets had been laying for months according to the breeder (who showed us the booty -- around 100 eggs a day), and we got our first egg the first night. Since then, not a one... We figured there must be some "adjustment" period, but its been 3 weeks without another egg. They've got a lot of space (few hundred sq. ft) and access to fresh food and water.

Are we doing something wrong? Or are we just impatient?

Oh, and much too our dismay/amusement, the two pullets have been sleeping in the nestboxes. We have 3 nestboxes, and both the leghorn and RIR (Snowball and Ringo) sleep together in the same one. They are best friends now (after some early bullying by Snowball)!

I would give them some more time, it can be very stressful to move from one place to the other and that can cause laying hens to stop lying for a while. If they're not laying after a month then I would worry. As for sleeping in the nesting boxes I would break that behavior by waiting until dusk and moving them from the nesting box to the roost until they get the hint. Here's hoping you get eggs soon!

 

[Tuhmu]

While I definitely agree that moving them could be stressful, it could also just be that they have a hidden nest somewhere. I only say this because it sounds like your chickens have plenty of room to have a hiding spot. I remember one of the hens my grandma had, she had a nest behind a square bale that was laying next to the wall in the loft of their large barn. So the chicken had to climb up like 20 ish stairs to get to this nest, and she never did go broody. I think she was a spangled hamburg.

 

[swarthmoresucks]

I think they're defective. Contact the seller and get two new birds. Or maybe they just know your name is Kevin.

 

[mad4chicks]

Looked everywhere, and I can't find a hiding place. I have suspected this before, and I am pretty sure they aren't squirreling them away somewhere... Another friend suggested that they might need more light -- is that a possibility? I let them out at 6:45am and they go inside by 8pm every night on their own.

 

[Tuhmu]

Hrmm I don't think it's that, during the summer months they should be laying, especially since they're pullets....

 

[mad4chicks]

I think they're defective. Contact the seller and get two new birds. Or maybe they just know your name is Kevin.

I don't want advice from someone with 8 dead guinea hens.

 

[swarthmoresucks]

I should never have told you that! And the raccoon has the 8 guineas, or 7 at least, I think the fox got 1.

 

[Tuhmu]

I should never have told you that! And the raccoon has the 8 guineas, or 7 at least, I think the fox got 1. 

I'm sorry, that's horrible!