Not laying eggs? Red Ranger Hen

[UniqueMeat]

We have a hen that is 22 weeks old, which we got with our first batch of chicks. Most of the flock is laying, the hens pretty big and laying everyday. Though, when we got Forrest, she was a deformed chick. We noticed right off at the farm store, and tried to nurse her until she was older. We were planning on her being a big rooster, but we are pretty sure she a hen. She has been eating and drinking all day and gets great sleep, though she was taken from the flock since she was a chick. She only has one eye, and she was far behind in growth.

Why we think she is delayed in egglaying is because her body hasn't fully matured yet. She was eating half of what the chickens were eating when they were younger, but she got tons of protein and healthy food. She now eats until her crop is tight at night, and gets tons of water.

She is the same size as one of our sex links, our black hens. She is almost as big as our two big hens who lay big eggs every day, Red Ranger hens. (She is the same breed).

We don't want to butcher her, but if she doesn't lay soon then we might have no choice. Is there anything we can do or give her that'll help her egg making system start laying?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

22 weeks is hardly delayed when it comes to the onset of production -- up to and even beyond 28 weeks is not unheard of. She is simply maturing a little slower than the others, give her time. To cull at this point just because she has not laid would be ill-advised.

 

[UniqueMeat]

We've decided to give her time awhile ago, and we culled when she was very young. Sometimes she follows us down to the coop, but at night we put her in a nesting box and turn it around so that she won't get out in the morning (we go out super early to get her) and we have a few spots around our yard that have shade and plenty of space to sleep.

She follows people and is starting to go down to the coop at night, outside the gate. We can pick her up, but since she only has one eye it's kinda like picking up something that doesn't know what's coming.

But, anyways, thank you for your help and reply, and we will surely give her time, maybe wait until spring or around that. Why we can't butcher her anyways is there's barely enough meat on her. Plus, I raised her and spent a lot of time feeding her, and caring for her, even with school going on.

Thanks again!