No egg laying yet for Black Australorps-Need Advice

[KKarwowski]

Hello, everyone!

I received my 6 Black Australorp juvenile pullets on July 7, 2016 from a national reliable hatchery. I estimate they were 15 weeks at the time. The chickens would have been 24 weeks in the first week of September. I am now into the first week of October and no eggs. The girls have been fed correctly and look healthy. I have ordered some vitamins to feed them. However this is the time of year when chickens that were already laying slow down. Any advice on getting my girls to lay before the really cold weather sets in?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most Australorps start lay between 5-6 months of age. Your estimate of their initial age could have been off. I would expect them to start soon. How do their combs look? They should enlarge and become bright shiny red.

 

[junebuggena]

Pullets that mature in fall do tend to take a bit longer to start laying.

 

[KKarwowski]

Three of the chickens have large combs that are bright red, the other three have small combs at this point.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Usually what happens is you post here about it and you get an egg very quickly, good luck.

 

[mamatink7]

Three of the chickens have large combs that are bright red, the other three have small combs at this point.

have they started squatting yet? Is their vent dry or moist looking? Those are signs very close to laying. I'm still waiting for the 3 last australorps to lay also.

 

[KKarwowski]

You will be glad to know the hens started laying on October 7th, exactly 3 months after I received them! And they are now laying between 5 and 6 eggs a day. You were right!

 

[mamatink7]

You will be glad to know the hens started laying on October 7th, exactly 3 months after I received them!  And they are now laying between 5 and 6 eggs a day. You were right!

Great news!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congratulations

 

[mamatink7]

How long until our australorps are regularly laying? We have 6 and all 6 have laid (we caught them and marked them with leg bands). But we only get like 3 or so a day. The first one laid over a month ago and the 6th laid first 16 Oct.