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

[Cass]

Hi, My 8 chickens are ranging from 12-20 mos. There are 2 Orpingtons, 2 Marans, 1 Austerlorp, 1 Ameracana, 1 Araucana & 1 Faverole. The faverole and younger Marans are brooding (forever on empty boxes-were pretty faithful before 4-5/wk ea) The only hen that is laying regular is the younger orpington. Occasionally the araucana does. They have good quality layer food available at all times and plentiful water (6 scattered) . They get meal worms, garden scraps (tomatoes, watermellon...), some table scraps & run of the back yard. They appear happy and healthy. The older Marans molt re-feathering is taking a long time so she looks less impressive than usual but still almost no eggs all summer. I've looked all over the yard. I don't know what to think. Could the molt be taking all summer for everyone? Also, there are 2 ducks who are very productive but their egg shells have become very thin. I have even stirred oyster shell through their layer feed but it hasn't resolved.
My neighbor got a very loud 4 wheeler he has been working on this summer. Could all that noise be upsetting them so much? The lawn mower and weed eater never bothers them. They act thrilled when I start mowing. I'm puzzled. Am I doing something wrong? Open to input...

Lock them inside the coop for a week. That will tell you if they are laying someplace that you are not finding. Continue to supply extra calcium in a separate container.

(the easist way to break a broody hen is to allow her to sit on a couple of eggs and hatch some chicks. That only takes 21 days, not 5 weeks. No rooster? Ask a friend for a few fertile eggs. Don't want more birds....give the hatchlings back to the person who supplied the eggs after 4 weeks....sooner if the momma looses interest in them)

And yes, the noise could be upsetting them....but not for a whole summer....they should be used to the noise by now.

And no, molt takes a month at the most. So that isn't it.

Since your birds free range they might have worms. Have you wormed them? Since they aren't laying, the egg 'withdrawl' recommended on the bottle isn't really an issue, is it?

None of that worked? Stop giving them ANY treats of ANY kind....just layer feed for 2 - 3 weeks. (I know, it hurts to not feed our babies the good stuff, but you might have to resort to that)

If that works, start adding treats one at a time a few days apart. In doing so I learned that my breed of birds stop laying when I feed them bread. (Go figure, silly birds) Avoid anything that has corn in it...too much corn makes the birds fat and fat hens don't lay well, if at all. And if they start laying do not give them treats daily....you wouldn't give a child candy daily....same goes for chickens

 

[TracyK]

Thank you Case. Very helpful suggestions. I'm going to get started on these items. This is our 1st molt so I wasn't sure what to expect but the length of time seemed excessive and I've gotten to the point of being concerned about their health. Also, they have likely had too much watermelon.

 

[krose2001]

That is a general article with most of the main causes for lack of eggs. Just as I mentioned, chickens are living creatures, not machines, therefore, there may be other reasons and every bird isn't a textbook example. I've had birds lay their first egg at 18 weeks and I've had them lay at 40 weeks. When folks post the same question often about this same subject, I want to say, "They're not laying because they aren't laying." Sometimes you just can't find the cause and sometimes, usually in older birds, it's internal laying, a reproductive malfunction. No amount of worrying will make them lay, LOL. They generally do slow down after two or three years old. I do have a couple of five year old hens who are still laying two to three eggs per week. I lost one recently who hadn't laid an egg in 14 months and she was almost five as well. They are just individuals.

Thanks for this post, it is funny how once your pullets reach that 18 week you start looking for an egg, and each day without one, starts preying on you- is it what you are feeding them, are they laying somewhere else, do they not like the nesting boxes, is it some other stressor. Good advice to remember- they are not little egg vending machines, and will start producing in their own time.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks for this post, it is funny how once your pullets reach that 18 week you start looking for an egg, and each day without one, starts preying on you- is it what you are feeding them, are they laying somewhere else, do they not like the nesting boxes, is it some other stressor. Good advice to remember- they are not little egg vending machines, and will start producing in their own time.

You're welcome, and welcome to BYC! Those 5 year olds are now much older. I have 6,7 and almost 8 year olds who are still laying in spurts.

 

[Cass]

Thank you Case. Very helpful suggestions. I'm going to get started on these items. This is our 1st molt so I wasn't sure what to expect but the length of time seemed excessive and I've gotten to the point of being concerned about their health. Also, they have likely had too much watermelon.

You are welcome. I see that you are new...If no one has told you that's what we are here for. To help each other as we try and raise our flocks....each of us has our own reason for wanting to own our own chickens...each of us have our own ways of doing things....so take from all of us what works for you or resonates as "the way to go" in your heart for your own flock.

Enjoy and welcome.

 

[marilyn1954]

I have 13 hens that were born April 10th not one egg yet, I figured they should start laying around sept 14th. I was feeding them crumbles and changed to pellets 3 weeks ago. Got any suggestions for me? Oh I have all rare breeds and most are different only a few that are the same breed. Any suggestions would be great

 

[Cass]

I have 13 hens that were born April 10th not one egg yet, I figured they should start laying around sept 14th. I was feeding them crumbles and changed to pellets 3 weeks ago. Got any suggestions for me? Oh I have all rare breeds and most are different only a few that are the same breed. Any suggestions would be great

Rare breeds have not been bred to lay an egg a day. Depending on the breed they may not be sexually mature until they are almost 6 months old.
Daylight is waning this time of year. Chickens egg laying cycle is light driven. If you have to have eggs this season, suppliment their light in the coop to equal 15 to 16 hours of light.
16 weeks is an average of when chicken start to lay. Patience is key. They will lay when they lay, not a minute before.

Have their combs and wattles turned red? Has a rooster tried to mate with them? If they do not have bright red combs then they are not hormonily ready to lay. Patience.

If you want eggs from first year chickens the earlier in the year you hatch them the better your chances are . Many fire up their incubators in January, along with supplimental light to get their hens laying earlier then mother nature has them tuned to lay.

 

[marilyn1954]

Their wattles and combs range from pink to red. Also I purchased only females BUT my Cochin just crowed last week for the first time. It's wattles and comb are huge and red as red can be. I am surprised as I thought that a rooster crowed much sooner than 5 months old

 

[Cass]

Their wattles and combs range from pink to red. Also I purchased only females BUT my Cochin just crowed last week for the first time. It's wattles and comb are huge and red as red can be. I am surprised as I thought that a rooster crowed much sooner than 5 months old

He probably didn't have any complaints until just last week. (That and Cochins are large birds and large birds take longer to mature...5 months is about the right time to figure things out)

The one and only constant with chickens is they do not read the same books, articles and forums we do. They do what they do when they are darn good and ready to do it. Also, they will do exactly what you asked about about 2 weeks after you ask makeing all the time you spent researching and reading a waste of your valuable time. Patience. Chickens lay eggs. They will do it when Mother Nature tells them it is time to do it.

 

[marilyn1954]

THAnks! I guess it's like my husband always says.......It is what it is. LOL