WHEN WILL THEY LAY?????? HELP!

[Juliechickens]

Hi Guys, well,,,,I'm frustrated can you tell? hatched all these birds last Easter,,,wouldn't ya think someone would have given me an egg by now???? Am I crazy here? Is this normal??? Now, I realize not all my birds are good laying hens but SOME are! What kind do I have? Here's the hens that I have: 3- Silkies, 1-Buff Orpinton, 1- RIR, 2-Light Brahmas,1- Dark Brahma, 2- Standard cochin, 1-bantam cochin, 1-Dominique, and 2 Lakenvelders, which I know don't normally lay well.
I would think at 6 months at least one of my hens would have laid an egg. I also own about 5 bantam roosters who all seem to get along fairly well together.
Now, some of their beaks are dark red, other beaks are light pink fleshy color. Is there any other signs I should look for? These birds during the day roam my property, creating nests down under my trees from dusting in my yard. I also check my yard daily for an egg. Nothing. I check their hen house in mornings and evenings,,,,nothing! I give them the correct feed for laying chickens now. I also give them fruit coctail as a treat daily. They get held and loved,,they are spoiled. I love them dearly actually. I just can't figure out not a single bird giving me an egg yet.

Is it possible they are eating the eggs after one lays it??? I've never seen any shell pieces but I guess it's possible..?? They are piglets that's for sure,,,always acting like they are starving and they eat constantly. I put down their food twice daily. Is that not enough? They roam and search for bugs all day on my property and seem happy here then at about 6pm they turn in for the night in their hen house where I lock them in from preditors. Am I doing anything wrong?? Help!! How can I tell when they will lay an egg?? Julie

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Put it to your girls this way: (Quote from "ruth", a BYC poster, while waiting impatiently for that first egg.)

"We're having a bunch of people over next weekend and the menu is either going to be omelettes or chicken. You decide."

 

[Juliechickens]

LOL, okay, I'll tell them,,, I beg them daily,,,,ooops I forgot to mention my 1 columbian wyandotte hen as well. No luck with her either. Every day they sure come a running for their fruit cocktail but no one gives me a thank you egg! Not one! Julie

 

[Windy Ridge]

They should have laid eggs by now, I would think. It's not their beak color you should be looking at, though, but their comb color. What are the conditions of their vents?

If they were eating the eggs, I would think you'd see bits of egg shell or egg on their beaks. They may be hiding their eggs in the yard somewhere you just haven't seen.

If it's possible, try keeping them in their coop... just for a day or two to see if they'll lay an egg for you inside. If they do, you'll know they've been hiding them elsewhere outside, somewhere you haven't spotted.