I got some chicks in February. It is now October, the birds are 7 months old, and not laying yet! Tell me some things that might hold them back from laying on time?
They are a mix of bantam breeds and some standards, Easter Eggers, Cochin, Old English Game, American game, Plymouth Rock, Brahma. One of the Cochins has a face as bright red as can be, but I have only seen one egg a few days ago that MIGHT have been hers...a small tan egg that showed up unexpectedly last week after months of no laying, and then never came again. You don't think it is possible that something is breaking in through chain link fence lined with chicken wire (no obvious evidence of it, no holes or chewing or digging) and eating all the eggs from about 20 hens EVERY DAY and leaving no evidence? It seems impossible, but surely I should be getting some eggs. I search their favorite outside hangouts several times a day to see if they are laying somewhere in secret, and I do not find anything. I have a few old hens around 5 that were laying pretty decent still, but stopped suddenly for a molt a few months ago and then did not start again, I'm expecting they are done, and they're going to the freezer this weekend. I have some that should still be laying, they're about 2 years old, and they stopped, did not molt, and never started again. For a while my roosters quit crowing, a couple of months or so, but now they are back at it in full force, crowing and fighting all day long, so I don't know what was up with them. I am so frustrated I am about ready to butcher the whole flock and start again with different birds, all they do is eat and eat and eat and never give back.
They are a mix of bantam breeds and some standards, Easter Eggers, Cochin, Old English Game, American game, Plymouth Rock, Brahma. One of the Cochins has a face as bright red as can be, but I have only seen one egg a few days ago that MIGHT have been hers...a small tan egg that showed up unexpectedly last week after months of no laying, and then never came again. You don't think it is possible that something is breaking in through chain link fence lined with chicken wire (no obvious evidence of it, no holes or chewing or digging) and eating all the eggs from about 20 hens EVERY DAY and leaving no evidence? It seems impossible, but surely I should be getting some eggs. I search their favorite outside hangouts several times a day to see if they are laying somewhere in secret, and I do not find anything. I have a few old hens around 5 that were laying pretty decent still, but stopped suddenly for a molt a few months ago and then did not start again, I'm expecting they are done, and they're going to the freezer this weekend. I have some that should still be laying, they're about 2 years old, and they stopped, did not molt, and never started again. For a while my roosters quit crowing, a couple of months or so, but now they are back at it in full force, crowing and fighting all day long, so I don't know what was up with them. I am so frustrated I am about ready to butcher the whole flock and start again with different birds, all they do is eat and eat and eat and never give back.