why are my 26 week old chickens not laying?

[TLynnP]

Haha - I'm doing the same with my 6mo Easter Egger - apparently chicken soup does not scare her.

 

[Dizzywitch]

Are any of you who are waiting doing the free range thing?   I've heard plenty of stories of free-range chickens "taking forever to start laying" and then the owner finding a hidden stash of eggs because they had been laying for weeks.

Ha ha, yes that's me! I found a few in the flowers and a pile in the beet garden... Guess I should weed and eat veggies more I don't know which of the girls the nests belong to but because of the color, that means two of my six month old girls are laying and I have two to go.

 

[KGreene]

Are any of you who are waiting doing the free range thing? I've heard plenty of stories of free-range chickens "taking forever to start laying" and then the owner finding a hidden stash of eggs because they had been laying for weeks.

I let them out of the coop every afternoon when I get home (in which they return at dusk), and on weekends while I'm out with them. The one BR returns to the coop to lay (in which she announces to the world what she's accomplished!).

 

[amynrichie]

Do they have an enclosed run? When my pullets started laying, i had to keep them locked up 24/7 for a while țo make sure they realized where they were supposed to lay.

 

[ericalynne2005]

I'm having problems with egss too. My chickens have always been free range and have gone into the coop at night to sleep. We have 4 chickens 19 weeks. Anyways on Tuesday when I got home I looked in the coop and I found a egg on the shelf they use to get to the roost. Anyways for the life of me I have not been able to find another egg...I'm so frustrated I decided to stick them confined in the coop this afternoon to hope the chicken lays again...Any help anyone by chance?

 

[Anuthatch]

Egg Jackpot among the Hosta's. She stopped laying there after I "stole" the eggs.

I never expected to be spending so much time hunting for eggs. I'm hoping when the weather gets colder or snow flies they will be more interested in the nesting boxes. Or that one of the new layers will take a fancy to the nesting boxes my husband built for them - twice. I decided the first ones must be too small so he built bigger ones. Then I decided they needed them lower so he lowered them. Then I decided they needed to be on the floor so he put them on the floor. Then I decided they must want hay instead of shavings... golf balls.......And still no eggs in the beautiful, perfect, private boxes.

They are way too fun to watch to lock them up. And they love being out and about so I feel too bad when they protest. So...I continue the hunt and the hope.

 

[ericalynne2005]

Still have not found any day #5...I tried to leave mine in the coop but I felt so bad...

 

[ericalynne2005]

I just put a egg in the nesting box hoping mine would get a hint