They aren't laying yet!

lxlzbaca

In the Brooder
9 Years
Dec 31, 2010
68
0
39
New Mexico
I know this is probably mentioned a dozen times a day, but I got my chicks the first week of March and they are still not laying. I've read the articles about this subject and their nutrition is good, they are healthy, etc. We have 3 EEs, a buff orpington and a barred rock. Any ideas???? What egg laying behavior should I be looking for? My kids and I are a pretty disappointed.
 
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Unfortunately they will lay when they are good and ready to. We are on egg watch too. The biggest things to watch for are mature comb and wattles and squatting. That's all I know.
 
I bought 3 easter eggers in April... They are fed once daily a mix of Purina Non medicated scratch and Purina Non medicated Laying feed and they forage from 6 am to about 7:30 pm right before the sun goes down. They are housed in a large coop fit for about 8-10 chickens and they have 3 roommates 1 Andalusion rooster a buff/orpington drake and hen duck. They have 6 laying boxes to chose from and a large run. I was told to expect them to start laying this month and 25 days in to this month and nothing... They use their laying boxes.. I just wonder if I should move their laying boxes up higher.... They use the boxes just dont sleep in them.. They have several roosting places as well... I am very disappointed that they havent laid a single egg yet... I am getting ready to take the ducks out and house them in a separate coop as my female duck should be laying fertilized eggs in the next week or so.
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just wondering what i could do to help my hens start laying.... any ideas?
 
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This is the first time I have ever owned chickens and ducks so.. lmao Im at a loss for words when it comes to my hens lol.... We bought 6 chicks from tractor supply in april. I told my husband I was like babe I dont want any roosters.... little did we know... we walked out with 3 hens and 3 roosters... lmao It was spectacular I was sooo very angry and now I dont know what id do without them lol
 
Are the combs getting larger and redder? That is a sign of getting ready to lay. A lot of hens will start squatting in front of you submissivly, but I've not found it to be the most reliable indicator. Go by the comb. And if they have large red combs and you free range at all, go on an egg hunt!
 
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My hens have maybe a mediumish comb. They are not large, but are not small. I have to go check, but if I am not mistaken 2 of them don't have a comb.
 
I know this doesn't help, but I had NO expectations for the start of laying. I knew they would lay when they were able to lay, no sooner. Everybody said "six months or so" and that would be at least 26 weeks. I didn't even check the calendar to count those weeks.

I knew it was unlikely I had barren chickens
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so I just didn't worry about it.

Another BYCer was down-sizing her flock and needed a good home for a couple of Lakenvelders; I didn't have any of that breed, so I bought 'em from her. They were already laying. White eggs, which none of my seven girls would be laying, so that was like getting REALLY GOOD store eggs I didn't have to go buy.

My girls did eventually lay eggs, and the last one to start laid her first egg ar 35 weeks. (I did check the calendar as each pullet laid her first egg.)

Patience. They will lay when they are good and ready to lay.
 

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