My Chicken hasn't started to lay...

[Tycine1]

You expect dirt in the feathers, what you're hoping for is dirt that is NOT moving

 

[Tycine1]

Short answer to the crop question, impacted crop can kill your bird. Longer answer: Think of their crop as a grocery bag that the chickens store food in and then when hungry, move into their digestive tract to be consumed. If it's impacted, then food is going in (and fermenting), but not moving forward in the digestive process; starving the bird and I'd imagine pretty uncomfortable too as the fermenting food gasses up and causes the crop to bulge (chickens don't burp).
You said you noticed the bulge and then later is was smaller; that's a good sign.

 

[Bear1978]

Yep. The crop gets full during the day while they’re eating and then empties out over night as they’re roosting.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Anybody have any idea why she hasn't layed yet?

The first of my recent Flock of 5 ISA Browns started to lay at 17 weeks and 2 days.
The last one of them to lay started at 22 weeks 5 days.
5 and a half weeks later.
I was about to give up on her. Then she started acting fidgety on a Saturday checking nest boxes, then Sunday she was scratching around in the nests for a couple of hours.
Then things got quiet, then the egg song.
She went straight to the feeder, and I checked the nest. . The white egg is ceramic.
My first Flock of 5 Golden Comets were 2.5 weeks apart.
My second Flock of 7 Barred Rocks were 3 weeks apart.
So it can vary quite a lot, even with the same type of chicken. GC

 

[Bear1978]

The first of my recent Flock of 5 ISA Browns started to lay at 17 weeks and 2 days.
The last one of them to lay started at 22 weeks 5 days.
5 and a half weeks later.
I was about to give up on her. Then she started acting fidgety on a Saturday checking nest boxes, then Sunday she was scratching around in the nests for a couple of hours.
Then things got quiet, then the egg song.
She went straight to the feeder, View attachment 2394211 and I checked the nest. View attachment 2394215 . The white egg is ceramic.
My first Flock of 5 Golden Comets were 2.5 weeks apart.
My second Flock of 7 Barred Rocks were 3 weeks apart.
So it can vary quite a lot, even with the same type of chicken. GC

Interesting, I haven’t thought of using a ceramic in the nesting boxes.. Does that actually work to show them where to lay?

 

[Bear1978]

Hey! OP, hang in there! Got my first egg just
Today!! So yours should lay soon! Two of mine were doing the egg squat and really noisy the last few days and then this!

 

[WindingRoad]

Hey guys, I got 4 new chickens in late June (I think) and the seller said that he got them as chicks during Chick Days (the one in spring.) He said that he thought one may have started to lay already. They all looked very healthy except for one, who was healthy 90% of the time but sometimes just sat there. For one month, none of them layed eggs. Then, one started to lay. Two weeks later, another. And another two weeks after that, the third one. Now, the weird one I was talking about still hasn't layed. She now looks very healthy but is just sort of bullied. Not very bullied, it's just that she and a couple of other chickens just have standoffs from time to time. She eats/drinks normally, runs and scratches around with the others (just sometimes kind of separate, she's not social), and sleeps in the hen house on her perch with the others. Anybody have any idea why she hasn't layed yet? Should I change her diet or something? Thanks for any help!!

PS They all looked young with small crowns/waddles that have now ground (except for the one who won't lay) and bright legs.

PPS She isn't a rooster because I think that I would know if she was.

Adjusting to new digs can be stressful on chickens. That might be the cause of delayed (see that pun) production. Give her a little more time. How would you know if she is a rooster? Just curious.

 

[JuChicks]

Adjusting to new digs can be stressful on chickens. That might be the cause of delayed (see that pun) production. Give her a little more time. How would you know if she is a rooster? Just curious.

If she were a rooster, she would have a talon behind her feet and very large tailfeathers/waddle. Plus she would probably be mounting the hens and singing during the day. Never had a rooster though, but I guess that's what would happen...

Thanks for the support btw!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Interesting, I haven’t thought of using a ceramic in the nesting boxes.. Does that actually work to show them where to lay?

It has worked for 3 Flocks over 4 years. GC