UPDATE!!! Am I doing something wrong?

[Diesel84]

Rusty - 2 of them have red wattles and combs. I'll try to take a picture when I get home of all 3 so everyone can see what i'm referring to. I'd even be excited at this point to find one in the yard! Lol. I'd heard that hens are usually done laying by 3pm, which is why I never really looked since they don't get let out of the coop to free range until about 6pm everyday. I'll post pics later today!

 

[greenfingers]

I don't know about the 3pm thing - I have collected eggs when I come home (about 5pm) and then found another egg when I put the girls to bed! I know one of my hens lays late in the day. So go figure...they are definately individuals!

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Quote:
I have some who lay after 3pm. Some days they are finished by noon...others I find an egg as late as 7 or 8 pm when I go out to collect the ice bottles. So far it has varied...been 3 weeks since they began laying.

 

[Diesel84]

Here they are:

 

[Whitewater]

If it makes you feel any better, my 2 Australorps are 22.5 weeks old and 21.5 weeks old and neither of them have started to lay yet, though the older one has been squatting for a week now. Both of them have combs and wattles that are quite a bit bigger and much more red than the ones in your picture, so perhaps they just have to mature a bit more?

I have a feeling that the really unseasonably warm weather up here (seriously, we're having weather that usually Florida or Texas gets -- 85%-95% humidity and in the upper 90's for temps . . . ) is forcing the australorps that I have to not lay, it really is hot and they're panting a lot, the poor things, and somebody here was just explaining that there's something about the CO2 exchange that gets wonky in this case . . . I forget the details, but it's pretty evident to me that the heat is probably responsible.

(this doesn't explain why our Black Sex link has laid 8 eggs in 10 days, including during this heat wave! Except for today, but then yesterday was a true corker . . . )

My younger Australorp isn't squatting, but our black sex link has been laying since July 30th and she *never* squatted, nor does she now, and she also doesn't do the egg song thing. She also lays at roughly noon (within 12-1pm) *every* time, obviously our little Black Sex Link hasn't read the Chicken Laying Manual yet! LOL!

Just wait, from the pic it looks like yours still have some growing to do

You can search my posts for a picture of what my Australorp's combs and wattles looked like . . .my first egg post should be around here somewhere.

HTH,


Whitewater

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Being a fairly large bird they might just start a little later, but those combs say they are there or close. My Bukeyes were either holding out on me or eating the eggs because they hatched about 1/1/10. As of today they left me an egg.

I think they might have been eating them because they were plenty old enough to lay and one of the roos is very glossy in color. Signs of an egg eater. So I put two ceramic eggs in 3 days ago. Today I received my first egg and it wasn't that small.

The reason I place as many fake eggs as I can get is --if they are eating the eggs--all of a sudden they see a delicious egg, peck it and...nothing because it isn't real! Then when the hen lays her egg they think if they peck it they will get nothing.

I have broke a whole coop at one time that way. You will just need to be very diligent about collecting eggs as often as possible. That way they only will find nasty no taste eggs and will eventually just stop. Here's hoping anyway.

 

[sheaviance1]

Patience is a virtue new chicken owners do not possess (myself included).

From the looks of things, it will be soon, but you are on chicken time, not your own. I agree with so many other people on here that have said go and buy a couple dozen store bought eggs and sure enough, you'll get your first one. Enjoy the anticipation, it will be worth it.

 

[Diesel84]

I suppose patience is a virtue.. It's just not fun! Lol

I checked yesterday - still nothing. The box sits on the ground under their poop board.. I constantly am checking it and keeping it clean by removing any lose feathers or poo that may have blown in, but no. nothing. not one egg.

::sigh::

Anybody have any popcorn while i sit and watch?

 

[Jenski]

. . . want me to send a few Orp eggs to inspire them??

Soon, soon, esp. if they are squatting. Most likely just as soon as you throw your hands up in the air and quit waiting, LOL!

 

[Beekissed]

It may be just your camera but those combs still look a little pale to me.

The heat may also be keeping them from laying. I'm not getting all the eggs I normally do either and I had more broodies this summer than I've ever had....hormones way off in this heat.