I have had a heck of a time with my chickens laying eggs..I have yet to see one..they are at a year old..they are barred rock..I have 3 females..they decided they wanted to hang out over at my neighbors now..I finally got 3 of the 4 back over today and locked them up in a pen so they can't get out (they were free range on my 1 .4 acres) still have to get the 4th one over..any ideas on what I can do to get them to start laying?
Hi and welcome!
Well, you see your first problem is that you have BRs!!
You just never know with them.
Roger the BR is this thread's mascot and provides much comic relief. I'm sure we will hear from her soon. She's quite a character and demands all sorts of treats before she will lay, especially pie.
On a serious note, at one year old, your hens are probably already laying, as
kian said, and you're just not finding the eggs or something is eating them. The hens should have large, very red combs when they reach laying age. If yours look small or pale, there might be a health problem (mites are common). Sounds like you need to encourage them to lay in the coop (I'm assuming you have a coop and lock them up at night). Put some fake eggs (or golf balls) in the nest boxes to give them the idea. I would also lock them in until the afternoon to see what happens. My girls are conditioned to come running when I call because I usually give them some scratch or treats. Really, they only have to see me to start swarming around like a pack of hyenas. Treats will encourage yours to stay home.
The other thing to consider is their diet. They need protein (in layer feed, insects, venison carcasses, eggs, meats and fish) and they need calcium (also in layer feed and oyster shells) to lay eggs. Lack of protein will slow or halt egg production, and lack of calcium can cause soft shelled eggs (which they'll often eat). You probably know all this, but I'm just trying to cover all the bases.
Let me know if any of this helps. I think you should lock them up and see what happens as a way to start. Good luck!
