MYSTERY!!... EXPERT OPINION NEEDED... one year old black copper maran hen has NEVER laid an egg...

[A_Fowl_Guy]

@Eggcessive and @Texas Kiki might be able to help too

 

[Kiki]

17% laying mash... plus any vegetable scraps from the kitchen and oatmeal (only like 2 or 3 times recently during the bitter cold days)... she is also allowed to free range when she wants to on nice days... View attachment 1682972

I'd recommend stopping all treats and only feed the complete poultry feed

Pictures of the bird please.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

They might be in church or something, I had to skip it today

 

[Morrigan]

I had a lavender maran that did not lay until she was 9 months old. While I was waiting I did some digging around and found at least one story of a hen who did not start laying until she was over a year old. Some can be really late bloomers.

 

[Canuckclucker]

I have only had 2 other hens in my flock with her... and they are both laying because I have checked everyone's vents and they are Easter Eggers and I'm getting 2 different shades of green eggs... I have also confined her for 2 days as well and no eggs...

 

[R2elk]

Hello fellow BYC members,

This is my first post. I have a mystery for any curious members out there.

I have a one year old black copper maran hen which I have raised since incubation. She has never laid an egg to date (Feb 24th 2019). NO she has never crowed or showed any signs of being a rooster (ie no spurs or saddle feathers). She is surely NOT a rooster lol.

I have other chickens in the flock who lay eggs daily and are younger than her. I provide her with the proper laying feed and have even experimented with other feeds for her as well.


WHATS THE MYSTERY HERE LOL

I had two Welsummer pullets that because of the timing (should have started laying in the fall of their first year) did not begin laying until the next spring when they were just over a year old. It can happen. Give her a little more time in case of the possibility of it being a time of year thing. Both of my Welsummer hens that did not start laying until they were older, became excellent layers of extra large to jumbo sized eggs once they finally began laying.

As others have pointed out it is possible that there is something physically wrong preventing her from ever laying.

I did have a turkey hen that for the 2 1/2 years that I had her, never laid an egg. Sometimes things go wrong internally.

 

[Canuckclucker]

I'd recommend stopping all treats and only feed the complete poultry feed

Pictures of the bird please.

 

[Canuckclucker]

I'd recommend stopping all treats and only feed the complete poultry feed

Pictures of the bird please.

Sorry about the last post. The pictures are uploaded on this post.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Cockerel

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with others who have said that she may not have yet laying due to the season. But she also could have a reproductive problem. Usually chickens will lay through their first season regardless of how much light they have, but chickens normally need about 12 or more hours to lay during winter. If she doesn’t start laying soon, then she may never. But as OHLD said, you may have not noriced her laying if her egg color is lighter than expected. With your 17% layer feed, she should be getting a balanced diet, but I would reduce the extras.