Nice message, I have some freeloaders as well, one would think after being 35 weeks old that the freeloaders would start to lay..nope, I have 24 freeloaders, I may have to go squeeze them
I have about 18 hens of various ages. Someone laid her first egg a couple of weeks ago, it was the size of the end of my thumb and lacked a yolk. As for the others, they are apparently laying by committee. I get one or two eggs a day. I figure we're at about $2.50 per egg at this point....
But if I cook 'em (not that I could), they sure won't lay.
They may have that figured out.
A county agent said I should put a light in the coop and have it on about 14 hours a day. I think it was OK to turn it off when the sun is out. The idea is that the chickens pituitary is stimulated by light, and if there is enough of it, they will ovulate, the "enough of it" being indicative of long enough days that raising chicks is likely to be successful.
As long as I haven't done the light bit, I really cannot blame the girls.
Might have to make a sign tho if this continues into spring!