They just won't lay. :-(

[Mac in Wisco]

Well, that's about 20 weeks old, and the days are getting shorter. They lay when they are ready. If you want to stimulate them to lay you can add light. Extend their days 15-30 minutes a week and they will all start laying.

 

[CluckyJay]

I can't, there is no electricity down there, lol. I think I will just have to be patient. Not one of my strongest virtues! LOL

Thank you guys.

 

[zengrrl]

No luck from my silkies born in March. Bunch of freeloaders

 

[CluckyJay]

I talked to the ladies yesterday and told them that I didn't appreciate their freeloading, LOL. I told them that mums chickens were a month older than them, in hotter weather and that they are already laying. I shamed those birds so maybe they'll lay today!

 

[TerryLou]

Mine were from an April hatch & no eggs here either. I thought I was the only one being impatient : ) Glad to know I'm not alone in this !

 

[CarolJ]

I've got four (2 EEs. NHR, JerseyGiant) that were hatched on February 15th - and they're not laying either. However, the other three (same hatch date - Ancona, 2 EEs) started laying within the past 2-3 weeks. After the first egg, it's easier to wait on the others.

 

[CluckyJay]

Thanks!

I hope all of our chickens start laying soon. Then we can all post a happy first egg thread, LOL. Hubby brought some wood home last night to make some fancy nesting boxes for our non-laying chickens!! LOL

 

[sourland]

"Roosters constantly breeding them". How many roosters to how many hens? They may be so stressed by overbreeding that they are losing weight; hence, putting off egg production.

 

[CluckyJay]

Not constantly like well "CONSTANTLY". Just very interested.

I have four roosters and nine pullets. While they were free-ranging they split into groups and the roosters had their own hens. It was really peaceful and nice. I penned them up several days ago and put most of the hens in their own coop. Everything was going well with the groups until a dog or fox came and took five in one day. That is the main reason I penned them up. Guess it could have been a fisher. :|

Two leghorn roos, one rhode island red which doesn't even bother with the hens and one sebright roo.

I can see that some of the hens aren't "ready" just in their cone colors and how they act. But Chocolate (bantam RIR has been squatting forever and I heard her eggsong and she was strutting away like she laid an egg). I think they are just very close but haven't started laying yet. A lot of the leghorns and some of the standard RIRs are acting maturely as well. Ughhh.

Freeloaders suck, lol.

 

[CluckyJay]

Oh, and they aren't losing weight. I checked that and they are nice and "chickenly". lol