nearly 8mo old chickens not laying yet.. any suggestions??

[leones]

a not so clear photo of the gals.. they are big and healthy looking

 

[janinepeters]

What lovely and healthy looking hens. The only other thing I can think of is lighting. What kind of light do they have in the coop? Any windows? Artificial lighting? Do they go out into the run much, or mostly stay in the coop? Is the coop/run in a particularly shady, dark area?

Mine virtually always start laying by about 6 months and pretty much lay all through their first winter. I do not use artificial lighting, but the coop has windows in 3 sides.

 

[yakibert]

1. put false eggs in nesting area (you've done that)

2. reach down toward them and every time they do the mating squat, rub their backs

3. Put them on layer feed. I think but do not know for sure that the drop in protein (18 to 16, not much a drop) triggers laying (this may be complete BS, I have nothing to back it up)

4. Reduce any stress. Which just means to make sure no other critters are bugging them and they have access to food and water.

I thought this interesting:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps029

 

[leones]

What lovely and healthy looking hens. The only other thing I can think of is lighting. What kind of light do they have in the coop? Any windows? Artificial lighting? Do they go out into the run much, or mostly stay in the coop? Is the coop/run in a particularly shady, dark area?

Mine virtually always start laying by about 6 months and pretty much lay all through their first winter. I do not use artificial lighting, but the coop has windows in 3 sides.

thanks, i think they are healthy too. which is why this is perplexing. all previous flocks have had eggs for us by 5-6 mo. not the 8 now...

it is foggy where i live and this is not my first flock of gals, all others have give many eggs- they have a well ventilated, naturally illuminated, with four laying bays in a 6ftx3ft- 4ft tall coup that they leave every day for a 14+ft pen. i have even started letting them out during the day to forage the 1/4 acre when i saw that they were not laying and no animal had taken the decoy eggs (which were laid by a flock down the road).. light is not the issue

 

[leones]

1. put false eggs in nesting area (you've done that)- they are still there a week later..

2. reach down toward them and every time they do the mating squat, rub their backs they let me rub them (they are super soft) and i do have a rooster that does mount

3. Put them on layer feed. I think but do not know for sure that the drop in protein (18 to 16, not much a drop) triggers laying (this may be complete BS, I have nothing to back it up)- they are on layer have been for a few months- an organic type that i have used with other flocks

4. Reduce any stress. Which just means to make sure no other critters are bugging them and they have access to food and water.- food and h2o are not the issue. could be a predator is coming around as they do, but not consistently.

i am thinking to move the rooster out for a couple of days and see if he is the source of agitation??


I thought this interesting:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps029
this is an awesome link, thank you!!
they are mostly suggesting is the birds egg production declines.. not sure why it has never started..

 

[yakibert]

Ah ..one thing I meant to ask is if it's quite HOT there? Not sure where you are but heat seems to slow things down ...maybe it's delaying the start of egg production? (I'm just throwing things out there, I'm no expert with any of this)

 

[leones]

thanks for the thoughts.. we live on the northern california coast.. foggy with mild sun in the afternoon.. really a dream for any chicken..
it is not the heat or cold.. we are btwn 70-50F most of the year..

 

[popsicle]

I would think if the rooster is mounting that those hens should be laying. Are there any high-up shelves or some other place they could be hiding the eggs? Is somebody around during the day to listen for the "egg song?"

 

[Happy Chooks]

Could they be hiding them anywhere?

 

[popsicle]

Also, you should be able to feel the space between their pelvic bones to find out if they are laying yet. Do a BYC search for "how to tell if chicken is laying" or something similar and you will find the formula (something like if 3 fingers fit, she is laying; if smaller she is not laying).