Snowing and Egg laying!

[RedBreasted]

So I live here in Idaho and is just snowing, Well is a big snow storm. I have 1 hen now, My rooster die. Well my rooster die because someone complain about the crowing and stuff. So my hen here, is 6 months old, full grown, and the comb and wattle is all pink. Is just is not laying egg? I don't have a coop for them, I wish i did but i don't have the money. I just put a box outside under a ledge kinda like thing and i put it under so the snow will come down. I warm up the water every time because it is always frozen like an ice cube. I am hoping to get a heat lamp soon and hoping my hen can go where to potty so i can bring it back home where is warm and cozy. But it won't do it. I think is because is too cold for her to lay eggs or she misses the rooster. I check every time to find 2 eggs because my hen is a black breasted red phoenix bantam and they lays 2 eggs a week. But is no their. So please help me out why she won't lay eggs! P.S I don't know will she get too cold!

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

She could be not laying for a number of reasons.
1) It is winter
This is a big one. Most chickens do not lay during the winter. There are some breeds, but she is not one of them. Putting a light on her might help. Chickens will lay according to the light...as the days get shorter, they decide they won't lay cause they ain't gonna hatch chicks in the winter.
2)She is lonely
Chickens are flock animals. They really need one another's company. Also because she just lost a buddy, she is most likely still mourning him.
3) She feels unsafe
Chickens like to lay eggs in a safe environment, and a box is not safe. A good strong coop with roosts and nest boxes is a priority.
4) She is too young
It is true that 6 months old is the standard time for them to start, but it really depends on the individual bird. I've had some start a few weeks early, and some start almost 2 months late.

If I were you, i would give her to someone who has more chickens, or get her a coop and a friend. You could check craigslist for another chicken and a cheep coop. Good luck

 

[Aorelly]

1. 6 months is still considered a bit young for laying.
2. Most hens don't lay eggs in the winter without a sufficient heat source. A heat lamp with force her body out of 'hibernation mode' and to begin producing eggs again, although it's not necessary. She will begin to lay regularly come spring, when the weather is warmer.
3. This one is just my personal opinion, but being on her lonesome is probably puttint extra stress on your hen. Chickens are flock animals and are most comfortable in groups that they are familiar with. It may not hurt to consider getting another rooster in the future, provided you get a few more hens, too. A rooster overseeing just one hen may actually hurt her from too much... uh, "attention".
4. You really should provide your girl with a proper shelter. It doesn't have to be anything store-bought or fancy, but a basic safe, warm place to hunker down is essential to all chickens. I'd say buy a few sheets of plywood, some straw, and a dowel for roosting, and that'd be sufficient to protect your hen from the weather.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

1. 6 months is still considered a bit young for laying.
2. Most hens don't lay eggs in the winter without a sufficient heat source. A heat lamp with force her body out of 'hibernation mode' and to begin producing eggs again, although it's not necessary. She will begin to lay regularly come spring, when the weather is warmer.
3. This one is just my personal opinion, but being on her lonesome is probably puttint extra stress on your hen. Chickens are flock animals and are most comfortable in groups that they are familiar with. It may not hurt to consider getting another rooster in the future, provided you get a few more hens, too. A rooster overseeing just one hen may actually hurt her from too much... uh, "attention".
4. You really should provide your girl with a proper shelter. It doesn't have to be anything store-bought or fancy, but a basic safe, warm place to hunker down is essential to all chickens. I'd say buy a few sheets of plywood, some straw, and a dowel for roosting, and that'd be sufficient to protect your hen from the weather.

2 - a "heat" lamp is not needed to encourage production - a light that provides extra hours of "daylight" is. It isn't about temperature at all. The supplemental lighting used to increase production in the winter months is not used to warm the birds, but rather to provide enough hours of daylight to trigger the production.

 

[Aorelly]

I realized my mistake after posting, thanks for the correction! I've always used a heat lamp that gives off some light with my own chickens, so the idea of temperature, rather than light, being the cause sometimes just jumbled in my mind.