Still No Eggs....

[Strysa]

So I am hoping to find out if anybody has ever had this issue before. My mother and I received a mixed dozen of chicks. She took 6 and I took 6. My girls have been laying for almost 2 months already but my mothers haven't even had the little first time lay eggs. We have had chickens for 4 years and this is our replacement flock. The previous flocks we did the exact same thing and neither of us had any trouble. The girls started laying around the same time and continued to lay consistently. We have the exact same coops. Her run is maybe one square foot smaller. We feed the same feed and both of us allow our ladies to free range several times a week. Is there anything that could be the cause of her having 6 chickens that do not lay? It just seems so crazy to me that non of them are laying. I mean I would understand if maybe one or two were not laying but not a single egg has been found. I have checked her setup multiple times to make sure that there is no way predators are steeling them and such. Any ideas?

Her birds are 3Bar, 2 Red and 1Astru

Thanks for any ideas you might be able to provide.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So I am hoping to find out if anybody has ever had this issue before. My mother and I received a mixed dozen of chicks. She took 6 and I took 6. My girls have been laying for almost 2 months already but my mothers haven't even had the little first time lay eggs. We have had chickens for 4 years and this is our replacement flock. The previous flocks we did the exact same thing and neither of us had any trouble. The girls started laying around the same time and continued to lay consistently. We have the exact same coops. Her run is maybe one square foot smaller. We feed the same feed and both of us allow our ladies to free range several times a week. Is there anything that could be the cause of her having 6 chickens that do not lay? It just seems so crazy to me that non of them are laying. I mean I would understand if maybe one or two were not laying but not a single egg has been found. I have checked her setup multiple times to make sure that there is no way predators are steeling them and such. Any ideas?

Her birds are 3Bar, 2 Red and 1Astru

Thanks for any ideas you might be able to provide.

The birds are all the same age - but what is that age?

 

[MeepBeep]

Difference in daylight amounts? AKA you are opening your coop earlier then she is so your chickens get that extra hour or so of daylight?

To get my new hens to start laying this year (besides the one every so often) I had to supplement the light a bit... Within say a week of supplemental light I started to get eggs regularly and production continues to increase every week...

So if possible, may I suggest your mother install a light or two in the coop, the new florescent or even newer LED bulbs don't create much heat and are economical to run... Get a light timer (Cheap at Walmart) and set it to go on about 14-15 hours before sunset, and go off at sunset and put that in the coop...

This way no matter when they are let out of the coop or when they are put in the coop at night they will be getting the full 14 hours of daylight they need a day for optimal egg production...

 

[Strysa]

The birds are about 8months. I would not think that the lighting would be an issue. We are in the north and the birds get almost 13 hours of sun a day right now. I have actually never had a light in my coop and have never had trouble with consistent laying even in winter. Of course we do get less eggs in the winter but not enough to worry about or risk a fire. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[AnnieSantiago]

I'm having the same problem. The 3 girls I bought to replace Penny and Bertha just aren't laying.
The biggest one, Kallie, has been squatting for 2 weeks.
All three have bright red combs.
The two barred rocks were born April 5.
I live in Portland, Oregon.
Should I put light in their wee henhouse?

 

[Strysa]

You could put a light in your coop if you don't think the girls are getting enough light. We have a really small coop so I worry about the fire risk in mine. I am in Northwestern Idaho so I would think we have pretty much the same sunrise and sunset, so as long as you let them out early enough in the morning they should be fine. I am up and out by 5am or 6 at the latest so I have never worried about it. But my mom's having this issue so who knows!

 

[MeepBeep]

not enough to worry about or risk a fire.

Florescent or LED lights do not produce enough heat to pose a risk of fire, so beyond the fact that you would have electricity in the coop that could pose the risk the lights are really not an issue as long as you avoid incandescent...

Something like this screwed to the ceiling of the coop is IMO risk free, or at least I would never worry about a fire from it...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-18-in-Fluorescent-Light-Fixture-16466/100384834