My Hens are on an egg strike! (and they have never laided)

[lowillobe]

My hens are about 5 mo. old and have never laided. One is a red sex-link, another is a black sex-link ( i think), and the other is goldy and has a beard.

Does anyone know why they are not laying?

 

[SpottedCrow]

They should be laying by now...
Is there a way that you could keep them in for a day and see if they're laying and eating their eggs or if something else is helping themselves to a yummy egg breakfast?

Are their combs and wattles and faces brightly coloured?
Are their vents moist looking?
Do they squat, squish down and hold their wings out, when you pat them on their backs?
Those are all signs of the girls being ready to lay.

 

[lowillobe]

We have tried kepping them penned up.

They keep making little holes and squatting

 

[bills]

They will probably start laying any day now, just because you made this post..

Believe me we have all gone through it, playing the waiting game. If all the conditions are right for layers, light hours, protien feed, etc., it just a matter of time...

unless of course you have roosters...

 

[can you hear me now?]

I had the same problem with my RIR and found out that i wasn't giving her enough light. I had no windows in my coop because i didn't know better. I put windows in and she started laying 2 days later and she has never stopped.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

unless of course you have roosters...

If it was me, that would be the case!!!! LOL

When you say "making holes and squatting" do you mean at the same time? If so it sounds like they are just taking a dust bath. They shouldn't make a hole to lay an egg. However, if you touch their back (or start to) and they do this quick little duck down thing and kinda seem like they are offering themselves to you (sorry, graphic description there) then they are squatting. I am sure they will lay soon.

 

[cajunlizz]

can you hear me now? :

I had the same problem with my RIR and found out that i wasn't giving her enough light. I had no windows in my coop because i didn't know better. I put windows in and she started laying 2 days later and she has never stopped.

well , my coop does not have windows neither , BUT , 2 sides are WINGS and they are opened and they have wire . So , I am assuming they have plenty light .

At night tho , it gets fully dark in the coop .

I do have 3 hens ( RIR'S ) that have never stopped laying , these other 3 ( RIR'S ) are being stubborn . I am noticing tho that their combs are really starting to show up lately . I got them about 2 months ago and I assumed maybe they were older than I thought ? I guess its wait and see .... Show and tell ?


I am feeding teens grower pellets and hens laying pellets , and rice , bread ...​

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
What are you feeding them? Starter/grower? How much treats or food scraps? Do they free range?

 

[warren]

My two youngsters are about 21 weeks old. One has just started to lay but not the other. She is squatting so she will be another week or two. 5 months is about 21 weeks so yours should be starting any time now, all being well. The first thing that I noticed was a change in behaviour. They get noisier, then less panicky and then they start to squat.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
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I am so excited and await the day they lay their first eggs , IF I see any of them that have never laid SQUAT , I might jump up and place hands beneath her in hopes she pops it right out . LOL