Still no eggs...Whats up?

[bosborn1]

My 10 Golden Comet Pullets are still not laying and I've had them since the end of April. they are well feed with layer pellets along with free range and table scrap supplemental feeding. I've tried the trick with the fake eggs in the boxes and they don't seem to care. How much longer should i wait before I give up and dress the birds out.

Thanks
Scott

 

[toletiquesbysam]

End of April would put you around 16-18weeks old, that's early laying age. I think normally they say 19-21weeks, so just hang in there!! I'm on egg watch too, my chickens are 17weeks!

 

[Karrie13]

I have 3 Gold Links (similar or the same as your Golden Comets) hatched April 22 and don't have any eggs yet either. I have read on here that it can sometimes take a little while (anywhere from 16 - 24 weeks old) so hang on for a few more weeks before you have them grace your dinner table.

 

[Big Red Hen]

Quote:
I know how hard it is to wait til the eggs start coming. Our pullets are 5 & 6 months....grrrr....lol... I was told that when it's really hot weather chickens don't lay that well either, so that maybe the problem too.

 

[Renee]

They're not old enough yet to begin laying. 20 weeks is an average, some don't start until 30 weeks.

You should not feed layer feed until they begin to lay. They need grower feed, which has less calcium and more protein.

The best way to get maximum egg production is to delay the onset of laying as long as possible so the hens can develop muscle mass and strong bones. Grower feed is designed to do this. This extends their life as layers and helps prevent later laying problems such as shell-less eggs, internal laying, egg binding and so forth.

That said, if you are REALLY HUNGRY, you had better eat them now.

 

[bosborn1]

My hens have plenty of muscle. The layer mix I'm using only has 1% less protein then the grower mix. Combine that with the variety of their diet and I'm sure they are getting what they need. I just plain refuse to buy any further grower food and have to either supplement it with calcium or toss it and go with layer.

I guess I'll wait. Our temps this year have been far below normal. With our mean high being on 72 degrees this summer. Infact today is the first time we've been at 90 degrees in 60 weeks. (darn that global warming) So I doubt that is the problem.

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Sounds like they're still a bit too young,

 

[bethgranberg]

Hello-WELCOME to you, I got my pullets on April 26th and I also have no eggs, but I think soon and I am waiting patiently, I have them on grower feed and I am taking the advise of others and not starting them on layer feed untill they start laying, I am also not giving them too many treats, I think it is just a matter of time. If it was me I would wait to see how things go, take it from there

 

[fordmommy]

and I'm in the same boat as you. No eggs yet. Still waitting. (You know, I wanted a cruise ship not a kayak!)

 

[greenpeeps]

Same here. My ladies are around 18 weeks old. They freerange all day long so we put an end to that. I've read to many stories about eggs being found under trees and such. So now the girls only freerange in the evening.

By the way I have already bought layer, but they only eat about a cup of it a day. I wasn't buying a huge bag of grower since i just bought the layer about 2 weeks ago. They get what they need from free ranging. Yell at me if you wish