Lost my only egg layer really need to get the other girls laying ASAP

[SeaGala825]

One of my 8 month old Silver Laced Wyandottes got out of her coop and went into my dog's yard. Well needless to say we don't have her anymore. That is really sad in itself but I think she may have been the only one laying eggs because its been over a week now and not one egg since that awful day. My hubby is talking about "knocking the rest off" for meat if we don't get eggs soon. I feed them layer feed, oyster shell and I scatter cracked corn in their yard throughout the day. I make sure they have fresh water too. I really need advice as to get them to start laying eggs. I have one that has started to squat when I pat her and I've heard thats a sign that it will be soon. I'm optimistic that come Spring they will start laying but hubby really is adamant that if we are putting the money into raising them that they should be providing what we intended them for. Myself I can't help but see the girls as more of pets I care for.....the egg laying is just an added bonus. They are so beautiful to look at and I've been raising them since they were a week old....don't wanna see them meet their demise so soon.

 

[Alaskan]

The Northern Hemisphere has just started going into the "every day is longer" part of the year.

If you are closer to the equator, the increase in day length might not be very great, so your chickens might not notice it all that much either.

My daylight is increasing quickly, since I am so far north. So...... The pullets I have have started laying just this last week.

As the daylight continues to increase, your girls will be more likely to start laying. You can speed up the process by putting a light on in their coop, so that they have 14 hour days. (I think that is the length you want..... Might want to look that up)

But, chickens aren't machines, they are animals, so you have to work with them.

I am all for "production first", but explain to hubby that as soon as they know that spring is actually here, they will start laying just as much as they are able. If you get rid of them now, all that tine and money is waisted, wait one more month, and they will finally start paying for their feed.