I have three Buff Orpingtons and three Barred Rocks that we got in early April. Friends got barred rocks and another type of chicken AFTER we got ours and they are laying and have big red combs. Our girls are not laying, not squatting, have tiny combs.....they get Layena laying pellets mostly, then in the afternoon some scratch and compost goodies. Plenty water and room. Shady spot. No aggression beyond regular pecking order and no rooster. what is the deal?
Same here. Two Buff Orpingtons, one Black Astralorp, two Silver laced Wyandottes, and two Rhode Island Red. Most have big red combs---the Black Astralorp's has been large and red for weeks. They were hatched 4/22 and I got them the next day. Layer crumbles in one feeder, pellets in the other (Purina Layena), plenty of space, water, shade. Greens and bugs in the garden. No eggs yet. Even my older hens are slacking. RIR is broody (sitting in the nest all day on absolutely nothing), Golden Comet quit laying after being sick at the vet's with a GI infection, etc. etc. Only one hen is laying---my black sexlink. I have 13 hens and get ONE egg a day. Slackers!
My girls were hatched in March some time and still no eggs from most of them. My BA and Buttercup/gamehen are laying but not my BR, EE, RIR, leghorn/polish. Slackers!
