Why Aren't My Chickens Laying? Here Are Your Answers!

[BWKatz]

Quote:

Not to be augumentative but a lot of old timers on this forum say 28-32 wks is normal to start laying unless u have a leghorn . Even then my leghorn didn't lay till22 wks. Ur heritage breeds like polish are much more like to take 30 wks especially going into winter. Just be patient. There are several good threads on this topic.

 

[chickchickgirls]

Thanks! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious. I'll just keep waiting it out til warmer weather. I'm afraid I have to buy my first store eggs in three years! The horror!

 

[bburn]

I am well pleased with my layers.

I have eleven in the big coop of mixed hens and ONE rooster. I will say this....my hens were past the age I thought they should be laying and then I got all the roosters out except the one I planned on keeping. They started laying the next week. I have to believe it had something to do with the stress being gone from multiple roosters. I supplement their feed with yogurt, turnip greens, BOSS and anything else that I can find that they like...oh, oatmeal. I am still getting six to eight a day from my girls in this coop. Temps are cold here today at 40 for a high.....20's at night.

My flock of Barred Rocks only have two hens that are laying. They are a little older but I get at least an egg every other day from each. Sometimes two. The three pullets are as big as the hens now but their combs are just starting to show some color and growth.

My Cochins are new....with the exception of the rooster I am keeping but they are all the same age. The girls don't look quite ready to lay.

I seriously can't complain but expect a real reduction at any time.

My main flock were from an Atwoods and I have had no problems with them.

 

[speckledhen]

I have heritage Delawares. They laid from 18-24 weeks, all of them. The last batch of six Delaware pullets were all laying by 21 weeks, with the first one starting at 18 weeks. Most of my birds have laid their first eggs between 18-26 weeks, with a very few going over that. Depends on lots of factors. This year is a bad year for layers, it seems. Many of my best layers have stopped completely, something that has never happened in prior years.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Quote:
I strongly agree...the things most people forget that even chickens are individuals and you cannot always expect the same thing from every chicken just as when I train a horse I never do each one the same...different personality calls for different techniques. I have a mutt chicken that has lain an egg every day since starting a year ago, regardless of day length temperature..etc...one that may lay an egg once every 6 months and several who looks like they may never lay!! Oh...there is the one who seems to be laying while roosting as I find the egg at the bottom of the pen under where she roosts. So...what I am saying is look at your chicken individually rather than a group. Otherwise you may drive yourself crazy!!

 

[kittycooks]

Quote:
I love those bright blue eggs! My current EE lays them too. Um, although she is on winter break, hasn't laid one for two weeks now. But I'm in MN and without additional light I don't expect eggs. The only ones laying regularly right now are my silkies. Go figure. They lay every day even though breeders say they only lay 2-3 a week.

 

[sammy2]

Quote:
me 2 my one lone hen hasnt layed since august-i think she may be "done"

 

[MamaTaney]

This has been a rough year for our hens. First, in the Spring, we thought one of them was going broody. All the others were fine, but she just wasn't & acted broody but refused to sit on eggs. She just wanted to sit. Then, we had a REALLY hot Summer. First we lost the "broody" (not broody) hen. We thought something must've just been wrong with her until we lost another hen who had been acting fine. We realized the heat must be the problem and moved them back to their Winter spot, where they could get more shade. Once the weather cooled we put them back to the yard, and now that it's cold they're back to their Winter coop.
The things is, one of our hens, an EE, hasn't laid since late June (it is now December!!). Our other gals haven't laid since the end of September. We even replaced the two we lost with young EE hens. They were 4 months when we got them on Sept. 11th, making them now 7 months and they still haven't begun to lay either!!

We get the same feed we've always given them (along with added scratch, and treats). Our older hens are now 2 1/2 years old. Summer was harsh, but we've been careful since then to make sure they were being taken care of. They stopped egg production before for almost 2 months, but this is going on longer. Especially with the one that hasn't laid since the end of June!

Any ideas? Our breeds are: 1 Buff Orpington (2 1/2 years), 1 Dark Brahma (2 1/2 years), 1 Partridge Cochin (2 1/2 years), 1 EE (2 years), 2 EE (7 mos). The ones we lost were a Partridge Cochin (2 1/2 years) and an EE (2 years).

Thanks,
Mama Taney

 

[Chickie Niki]

Chickchickgirls, I am with you! I live in the Portland area and my (20 month old) girls aren't laying either!!

My situation: 6 Buff Orpingtons, 5 of them started molting in early Sept, so only one was laying. They finished their molt, and still aren't laying. The one chicken has since stopped. I have had a light in the coop since Sept. No egg stealing, since they aren't even going up into the nest boxes. However, the chicken that was laying (and since stopped) is now SLEEPING in the nestbox at night. What?!!? Meanwhile, I discovered that a rat or rats has burrowed under and into the coop. I don't think it's related, though, as they stopped laying long before the rat issue came up.

Where are my eggs???? I actually had to BUY some from the store the other day. I felt like I was "cheating" on my chickens!! My husband is threatening the stew pot. I didn't have any problems last winter (their first). I am blaming all this on the molt, but it has been over 3 months!

They are also eating their feed like crazy. Help!

 

[theblackridge16]

I have 5 white leghorns, 5 partridge rocks, 5silver laced wyandotte and 1 partridge rooster. they to stopped laying in september and have just started laying again the last week of november. they are now laying regular and i am getting 12-15 eggs a day. I am new at this but my wifes family has raised chickens for years in utah and there advice to me was to put heat lamps on them, keep them well feed and watered and they will start giving you eggs again! worked for us!