Seriously, 30 weeks and no eggs?

[swimmer]

So what is the "normal" average they start laying. I know it depends on the breed. I've got some EE's, speckled sussex, white rock, and a Wellsummer. They are all around 20 weeks.

 

[new chick 203]

Thanks for the words of support. I love my girls, and I want them to be happy and healthy, but I want the eggs too! Every one keeps asking about all the eggs I must be getting, and I feel like I have to make excuses for them... "Oh, they're so pretty they don't need to work for a living"

 

[woodmort]

This is an observation I have made from reading various "When will my chickens start to lay?" threads in re to EE's and Ameraucanas.


I've said this before (and ticked off a few people by it) but, as I understand their breeding background, both EE's and Ameraucanas are basically mutts. That is there is a variety of crosses--some intended, others accidental--that have gone into producing either the EE mutt(most of which have Ameraucana ancestors) or the breed that has evolved the standardized Ameraucana traits. As a result of these crosses there are a variety of genetic factors at work that control when these birds will lay. Maybe even more so than your average, run-of-the-mill RIR or leghorn. Quite possibly, then, depending on which set of genes a particular bird and its hatchmates receive it may take longer for some individual EE's or Ameraucanas to start to lay. On the other hand, once the do, they may lay better and longer.

Please, I'm just making a conjecture here and not casting dispersions on the Ameraucana's breeding so no hate mail.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

My EEggers were 30 and 33 weeks old before they started to lay..

I think Point of Lay age should be 28-30 weeks-- NOT 16-20weeks ! Everyday there are many posts about their 25, 28, 30wk +old pullets NOT laying..As I have stated before--My Uncle, who is 82 and grew up on a farm told me.. Growing up, they raised chickens--for eggs and meat for the entire(11 kids, parents and grandparents) family and to sell. The chickens were his job.. He and his brother were the flock mangers. He says his average hen was about 30weeks old before she began to lay.. The first chicks of the yr were born in early spring and began laying in late fall.. They raised most of the heritage breeds RIR, BR, Dominique and leghorns.. He says he and many others his age never heard of hen laying at 5 months old until he heard about the production breeds --Sex-link etc..

I was so worried about my girls and after talking to my uncles, I realized I was listening to all the hype about early laying and not being realistic.. So now, I will never look for eggs before 30wks old from ANY breeds..

Good luck and give them a few more weeks..

 

[woodmort]

Quote:

 

[ambabya]

My EE just started laying at 28 weeks. BO the same age is not laying. Wyandotte 26 weeks is still not laying.

 

[Oscgrr]

I wonder if some folks that have late starting layers are letting thier birds free range. From what I understand, if given the opportunity, they will hide their eggs. I've heard of people finding little piles of eggs in the oddest of places. My sister has found eggs layed in shoes that were left outside over night. Maybe some of those late starters have started already and the eggs are just well hidden. When I thought my birds were about ready to start laying, I confined them to their run. After they get accustomed to using the nest boxes they'll be allowed to free range again.

I also wonder, I hope this isn't too sensative a topic, what kind of feed these layers are getting. This is my first flock and I'm very receptive to advice so when the guy at the feed store told me that if my chicks heads no longer fit into the chick feeder then it's time to switch to layer pellets. That was at about eight weeks and the pellets were huge compared to the chicks, but they took to them just fine. I don't remember what the brand name is but it's all I feed my chickens, with the occasional table scraps and BOSS as a treat or to keep them busy while I clean the coop. I don't mess around with custom mixes because I was told that layer pellets meet the complete nutritional requirements for laying hens and I tend to believe that's true.

I've been getting an egg or two a day fort the past two and a half weeks from a flock of eleven. Today was my first day that I got more than two eggs, I got four. They're about six months old and we're cold enough ro get surface ice in the water dish overnight. I'm told that they will lay slower over the winter but they will lay. If you aren't getting eggs for a VERY long time I might be asking if ALL rooster crow.

What's worse than waiting for the first egg is waiting for them to produce enough that I can stop buying eggs.

 

[mtcookie]

My Ameraucana is 32 weeks and has yet to lay eggs.UGH

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
From what I have read on here (I am just a chicken newbie too so don't take offense please) you don't want to feed your chickens layer feed that early. The additional calcium can damage their kidneys that young. I know some people have claimed that feeding them layer food earlier will help them lay earlier. I don't think that is the case. If you think of this logically, you are trying to get a chicken to ovulate before she is mature enough to do it. If you were trying to do this to a human girl, the only way to do it would be to give her hormones. I am not a vet or a scientist but I would think the only way to get a chicken to start before her body is really ready would be to give her hormones as well which is the kind of thing we are trying to avoid by raising our own animals. They will lay when their bodies are ready to lay and from other posts I have read, the older they are when they first start laying, the less chance they could become eggbound or an internal layer.

 

[Chantay]

It took my EE mixes 33 weeks to lay. I also have 2 BR and a Maran in the same pen and it took them 30 weeks to lay. My BO Billina never layed and then started taking an interest in the ladies so now we call him Billy. Helga who is the sweetest Sussex in the entire world has never layed an egg nor has taken an interest in any of the others....I think that Helga may be a rooster that just doesn't crow...LOL. Last year when I got my first chicks ever they layed right at 20 weeks so I thought that there was something wrong by my girls this year. It turns out that they were just late bloomers...and roosters.