Not Laying Due to Bullying?

[LyssaLoy]

I currently have 4 chickens. 1 is already laying. My buff Orp is 28 weeks, My EE and Barred Rock are 23 weeks old and none of them are laying. My neighbor said that their Buffs were bullying their younger set of chickens and not allowing them to lay. Once they got rid of their Buffs their younger set began laying. They are suggesting that we get rid of our older girl and see if that is whats happening to ours too. I don't want to do that because she is my only layer! But I don't know what to do...
Has anyone experienced this? Bullying that causes younger chickens not to lay?
What do yall think about my girls not laying yet?

 

[sourland]

23 weeks of age is a little early for the Barred Rock, and the start time for EE can be all over the map as they are crossbreds. Unless your Orpington is flat out attacking and causing physical damage to the other two I seriously that she is causing any problems.

 

[LyssaLoy]

No, sorry, I was a little confusing. My Rhode Island Red is already laying and she is a lot older than my other three girls- a Buff, Barred Rock, and an EE, who are not laying.
There isn't any physical damage so thats good.

 

[donrae]

Honestly, if you went by that logic then bullied teenage girls wouldn't ever get pregnant, and we all know that isn't how it works.

do you free range? could your birds be laying somewhere else? Do you have pictures of them?

 

[LyssaLoy]

We live in an area that has many hawks. So we can only let them free range for about an hour each day and that is with us watching them. I really don't think that they are laying elsewhere although I guess it is still possible.
Here is a recent picture of them. Do you want something closer of them?

 

[donrae]

The red bird to the right ( I think is a red sex link) is the only one who looks mature enough to lay. The rest just don't have enough comb. the barred bird seems next in line, can't see the others well enough but they just look either very immature or the ages are off.