my chickens are 4 months past the laying date and no eggs

[guineafowlguy]

These chickens are production reds. I hatched them in Feb. So that would make them around 9 months (More or less)

I have been feeding them as much grain as they can eat to try to get them to start. It is 16% protien layer pellet and i have just upped them to 20%

I am starting to wonder what to do. People have told me to just wait but i have given them 4 more months past there laying date. Now it is fall if they don't lay now they wont lay till next year. The stew pot is looking better and better every day.

What do you suggest.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

they dont crow do they? hahha they are only 7 months if born in feb. the bigger the chicken the longer it takes. patience my friend

 

[Granny Hatchet]

they dont crow do they? hahha they are only 7 months if born in feb. the bigger the chicken the longer it takes. patience my friend

btw, mine lay in winter. and a fat chicken dosnt lay as well. they are not guineas u know. haha, which i love dearly. i have 10 guineas and about 30 eggs in the bator right now

 

[houseofknauss]

These chickens are production reds. I hatched them in Feb. So that would make them around 9 months (More or less)

I have been feeding them as much grain as they can eat to try to get them to start. It is 16% protien layer pellet and i have just upped them to 20%

I am starting to wonder what to do. People have told me to just wait but i have given them 4 more months past there laying date. Now it is fall if they don't lay now they wont lay till next year. The stew pot is looking better and better every day.

What do you suggest.

are they penned up or free range--if free, they could be hiding their eggs somewhere--if not , they might need some more natural grasses and dirt and little pebbles, oyster shells also for the mix. my rir layed their whole first winter and didn't start laying till September last year. make sure no one is crowing as mentioned before

I feed mix of Blue Seal layer pellets/ cracked corn/ and whole corn. bugging is on the downside right now so the feed bill is starting to go up again. they also get any good scrapes from the house, from bread, to tomatoes, squash, blueberries, strawberries all kinds of mellons etc.
see what everyone else says....I don't think a higher protein pellet is gonna make them lay.

 

[guineafowlguy]

Thanks for your reply I have both roosters and hens of this breed do to i hatched them myself. I cant tell a hen egg from a rooster egg

I sepparated the roos into a different pen becuase the roos dont need layer pellet. The hens are free range as in they can wonder a fairly large run. I would say 900square feet.

I am feeding them a mix of grains as well. It has corn, Layer crumbles, and some unknown pellet that is suppost to have 16% protien. I have lots of animals on my farm and so they all get a simmilar mix of feed. Minus the egg layer. lol

 

[Fred's Hens]

A production red should be laying by now. I'd recommend this, for your consideration.

A pen/run where they cannot escape to the bushes to lay eggs in secret. Laying boxes down low, even as low as 6" off the ground. Feed them only, exclusively, the 16% or the 20% Layer feed or a mix of the two. Nothing else. No scratch grains, no corn, nothing. Just the Layer feed. It is a complete feed.

Fresh, clean water. No harassment from the cockerels.

They should be laying by now and you are right. They may need some light therapy to jump start them if they don't lay before the darker days of fall and winter are upon us. We're already below the 12 hour dark/ 12 hour light of the equinox.

 

[houseofknauss]

the great thing about this website--so many different things that work for so many different people and their crew ----great advice!! keep trying till something works!

 

[The Farm]

I love guineas to and i have 15 right now
Good luck i am having the same problem to hope they start laying soon!!...

 

[Granny Hatchet]

any chicken and dumplins yet? just rereading what you feed. am i reading right that you are giving more than just the layer feed? the layer should be their main staple diet until they start laying then you can throw some treats in.