My chickens are still not laying eggs!! What am I doing wrong!!

[newtoBYC]

They are going on 25-28 weeks now. They have been eating the laying pallets for the last month! Is this normal?

 

[aoxa]

What breeds are we talking about here?

Layer feed does not help them to start laying. It just adds extra calcium to form strong egg shells.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

It can depend on the breed type. The cross breeds start laying a lot sooner than heritage breeds will. I have red sex links who started laying at 14 weeks of age. Some of my other breeds such as orpingtons are around 25 weeks old and have not layed yet. What breeds are you referring too?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Hello. Chickens are like people-ladies, 6 months is a good general rule but they really just mature in their own time. In my experience the norm is more like anywhere for 5-8 months with 6 as an average. I would not worry and I do not think anything is wrong. You will have eggs soon.

I would not feed layer until they are actually laying. Stick with a non-medicated grower with some oyster on the side and then switch to your layer once ALL of your girls are laying. For non laying birds calcium builds in their system and can be harmful over time. The girls that do not need calcium yet will not eat the oyster and the grower is not bad for laying birds if they have the oyster.

 

[aoxa]

Hello. Chickens are like people-ladies, 6 months is a good general rule but they really just mature in their own time. In my experience the norm is more like anywhere for 5-8 months with 6 as an average. I would not worry and I do not think anything is wrong. You will have eggs soon.

I would not feed layer until they are actually laying. Stick with a non-medicated grower with some oyster on the side and then switch to your layer once ALL of your girls are laying. For non laying birds calcium builds in their system and can be harmful over time. The girls that do not need calcium yet will not eat the oyster and the grower is not bad for laying birds if they have the oyster.

Yep, I do this as I have roosters to feed too. Grower is my only option. I'd rather they add calcium in different ways (ie: oyster shell), than risk my boys having kidney failure.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Yep, I do this as I have roosters to feed too. Grower is my only option. I'd rather they add calcium in different ways (ie: oyster shell), than risk my boys having kidney failure.

Yep same with me. I feed flock raiser and supplement with oyster shell calcium. I love my roosters too and want all my flock to live a happy and healthy life. I actually weighed one of my orpington cockerels last week and he is coming in at 10lbs. Imagine that! He's only 6 months old.

 

[aoxa]

Yep same with me. I feed flock raiser and supplement with oyster shell calcium. I love my roosters too and want all my flock to live a happy and healthy life. I actually weighed one of my orpington cockerels last week and he is coming in at 10lbs. Imagine that! He's only 6 months old.

I don't have a scale myself, but I imagine my 8 month old cockerel is about the same, if not a bit more. He is a partridge cochin. Huge guy!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Yep same with me. I feed flock raiser and supplement with oyster shell calcium. I love my roosters too and want all my flock to live a happy and healthy life. I actually weighed one of my orpington cockerels last week and he is coming in at 10lbs. Imagine that! He's only 6 months old.

10 pounds!!! WOW. That is a really big bird!!

 

[newtoBYC]

One RIR, and two Americnuas.

 

[newtoBYC]

1 RIR and 2 Amerucanus