My girls won't lay

[Fox66]

Hi everyone, Let me give you a little background in February I purchased 4 hens from a farm to start my flock. 2 Jersey Giant hybrids and 2 buff leghorns. I was told the leghorns had just started laying and the Jerseys were due to start in April. Two days after I brought them home the leghorns gave me an egg each. That was around mid February and haven't laid since. The Jerseys have started laying around a week ago and I've been getting at least an egg a day. They are in a 10 x 10 chain link dog enclosure and now that the weather has gotten warmer they free range most of the day. I have them on an organic layer pellet, and they always have fresh water, oyster shells available 24/7 for calcium, they did go through a small molt around 1 1/2 months ago feathers have grown in now. I just put them on the feather fixer feed just in case. I check the yard when I put them in for the night for eggs. I have also added three pullets to they're enclosure separated but so they can see each other about 4-6 weeks ago. No signs of them being egg bound. I asked the staff at tractor supply co and they're stumped too. Help! How do I get the girls to resume laying eggs?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi everyone, Let me give you a little background in February I purchased 4 hens from a farm to start my flock. 2 Jersey Giant hybrids and 2 buff leghorns. I was told the leghorns had just started laying and the Jerseys were due to start in April. Two days after I brought them home the leghorns gave me an egg each. That was around mid February and haven't laid since. The Jerseys have started laying around a week ago and I've been getting at least an egg a day. They are in a 10 x 10 chain link dog enclosure and now that the weather has gotten warmer they free range most of the day. I have them on an organic layer pellet, and they always have fresh water, oyster shells available 24/7 for calcium, they did go through a small molt around 1 1/2 months ago feathers have grown in now. I just put them on the feather fixer feed just in case. I check the yard when I put them in for the night for eggs. I have also added three pullets to they're enclosure separated but so they can see each other about 4-6 weeks ago. No signs of them being egg bound. I asked the staff at tractor supply co and they're stumped too. Help! How do I get the girls to resume laying eggs?

Start by keeping them in the pen a few days to see if they are laying-----if you are home check Often for these few days for eggs. Any Crows?? They will steal every egg they can get to.
Do you have any Idea how old these chickens are?? If Not do they look young/legs smooth, Comb bright and red?? Do you ever hear the hens cackle---the sound they make after laying a egg??

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. You have some good advice / questions from PD-Riverman, so I will just say hello.

 

[Fox66]

Start by keeping them in the pen a few days to see if they are laying-----if you are home check Often for these few days for eggs. Any Crows?? They will steal every egg they can get to.
Do you have any Idea how old these chickens are?? If Not do they look young/legs smooth, Comb bright and red?? Do you ever hear the hens cackle---the sound they make after laying a egg??

No cackle and I am always home when I let them range 90% of the time I'm am out in the yard with them. If I'm in the house or have to go run errands they're in the run/cage. I was told they just started laying when I got them. They do look like younger hens. Comb is red..I checked the vent it is moist and the right size for laying. I have not seen any crows in the area. Just finches and cardinals and the occasional duck will fly by. I assumed they stopped because of winter and the mini molt but figured they would have resumed by now. I'm stumped

 

[Fox66]

Hi and welcome to BYC. You have some good advice / questions from PD-Riverman, so I will just say hello.

Thank you and good morning

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC.
Don't believe everything you are told. (meaning the person may have not been truthful about their age...and working at TSC doesn't necessarily make you a chicken expert)
Can you post a few pictures of you hens?

 

[EmeraldOaks]

I banded my hens. When they are on the nest and I know it was her egg, I put a loose slip tie on one leg to tell the layers from the non-layers. That being said, some hens come into production at different times, so give them a chance to prove themselves. After about a month, if the unmarked ones still haven't laid, into the freezer farm they go.
Brahmas are my favorites, they are docile and fairly decent layers.

 

[Fox66]

Welcome to BYC.
Don't believe everything you are told. (meaning the person may have not been truthful about their age...and working at TSC doesn't necessarily make you a chicken expert)
Can you post a few pictures of you hens?

 

[Fox66]

I banded my hens. When they are on the nest and I know it was her egg, I put a loose slip tie on one leg to tell the layers from the non-layers. That being said, some hens come into production at different times, so give them a chance to prove themselves. After about a month, if the unmarked ones still haven't laid, into the freezer farm they go.
Brahmas are my favorites, they are docile and fairly decent layers.

I have two that I know aren't laying at this point the last eggs I got from them was 3 1/2 months ago. Trying to figure out why and how to get them producing again. But your right if they don't start soon then the freezer farm they go. I have three pullets that should start laying mid summer.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Do they have a specific place to lay their eggs? They could be eating them, especially if they are out in the open are bored. And once they get started on egg eating, there is no stopping them. I have a flock of egg eaters and the only way to stop them is to hang curtains over the nest boxes so that the box is nice and dark on the inside. They go into lay an egg and generally they leave them alone. I also keep fake eggs in there too, to stop the playing with eggs.

If they honestly are not laying eggs, they either have some health issue preventing them from laying or they are old hens that are out of eggs. Generally old hens act old, but it's hard to tell a young hen from an old hen other then her being slower than the younger ones.

Good luck with your birds and welcome to our roost!