Not a single egg off my hens?

[sophster1989]

Hi there I'm new to chicken keeping! I have one buff orpington and 2 brahama that I hatched from chicks! They are 8 months old and I haven't had a single egg? Am I not feeding them enough layers pellets? I thought it was to do with daylight hours but my friend has exactly the same and age and hers are still laying! They live wit my ducks so I wondered if this is putting then off? Thanks

 

[Honora]

Some chickens are just slow starters. I have 3 Wyandottes that are 9 months old & only 1 has started laying.

 

[hennible]

Can't say for sure if it is something to do with the ducks but you never know. Maybe you just had a few late bloomers it happens, you could have a bunch of hands from the same hatch and one might start laying months after the others they're just all different... My Orpington's are over eight months old and I'm not even sure they're laying yet... The ducks are laying yet either... Lol.

 

[sophster1989]

Oh good ur in the same boat as me then! I've not had a single egg off anything lol!

 

[sophster1989]

Oh really, that's reassuring then. Thanks

 

[hennible]

I don't think my ducks will lay until it's really really spring here, possibly the same with the young Orpington's... My 1 1/2 year old and older girls are laying though...

 

[sophster1989]

I hope that's what it is! I've just worked out their 26 weeks so they are old enough now aren't they. I hope it's not cos of the ducks cos I don't know how is seperate them. I've tried it before but one seems to think it is a duck!

 

[hennible]

Lol.
Are the chickens combs and wattles getting red? Are you seeing the chicken squatting?

 

[sophster1989]

Yeah their red! I've not seen them squatting no! What does that mean?

 

[hennible]

Well read combs etc means their mature the egg should come some time soon... Squatting behavior apparently occurs more often when there's no rooster present but it indicates also that they're getting ready to lay eggs.