Why aren't my isabel orpingtons laying yet?

[Rooka_2]

My isabel orpingtons hatched on March 11th, they will be 20 weeks old this coming Saturday.
I've actually posted about these ladies before, when I was trying to figure out if they were roosters or hens, I ended up winning the chicken lottery and out of all 6 eggs, they all hatched and they are all pullets.
I'm a little worried at the moment that the reason they're not laying is because they're not getting enough feed. They are currently housed with two goats and a baby pig. Don't fret, we are in the process of everyone getting their own pens. Pig is actually moving this weekend when I go pick up her friend, I just didn't want her to be lonely. They all have separated pens in the barn at night but they can see each other. During the day they are pretty much free ranging in a 1 acre pen. I give them a large scoop of food in the morning then another large scoop at 6pm. They do not have access to food 24/7 right now because the pig and the goats prefer the chicken feed to their hog and goat feed. Could this be the issue? The goats and the chickens will likely be together for a few more weeks, im waiting on our new fencing to be delivered for their coop. Any ideas on how I can give them food without worrying about the goats over eating? They seem to engorged themselves on chicken feed whenever I try and put a big bucket of it in there.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Orpingtons are very slow to mature, mine were hatched in May and didn't start laying until December. The pullet in your pic is getting nice and red, so maybe they'll start in the next few weeks

 

[NatJ]

Any ideas on how I can give them food without worrying about the goats over eating? They seem to engorged themselves on chicken feed whenever I try and put a big bucket of it in there.

Can you make a small pen that holds the feed, where a chicken can get in and a goat cannot? (This depends on the goats being enough bigger that a chicken-sized opeing will keep a goat out.)

Or you might try a bucket feeder, the kind with PVC elbow ports big enough for a chicken head (but maybe not big enough for a goat's mouth.)
Post 10 of this thread has photos of a style that might work:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-“right”-feeder.1586254/#post-26955547

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Can you make a small pen that holds the feed, where a chicken can get in and a goat cannot? (This depends on the goats being enough bigger that a chicken-sized opeing will keep a goat out.)

Or you might try a bucket feeder, the kind with PVC elbow ports big enough for a chicken head (but maybe not big enough for a goat's mouth.)
Post 10 of this thread has photos of a style that might work:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-“right”-feeder.1586254/#post-26955547

I have goats and those port feeders. It didn't stop them. They are relentless.

 

[NatJ]

I have goats and those port feeders. It didn't stop them. They are relentless.

That is useful to know. Sometimes there is a big difference between what "might" work and what really does work!

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

That is useful to know. Sometimes there is a big difference between what "might" work and what really does work!

We had to put a cattle panel gate on the chicken coop door with a locking latch to keep the goats out.

They can get their head in, but the feeder is 15 feet away.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That is useful to know. Sometimes there is a big difference between what "might" work and what really does work!

Unfortunately, even if their mouth doesn't fit, goats will likely still use their tongues to try and get alevery last crumb of food they want.

 

[Rooka_2]

Orpingtons are very slow to mature, mine were hatched in May and didn't start laying until December. The pullet in your pic is getting nice and red, so maybe they'll start in the next few weeks

Oh good! My fingers are crossed. I've been waiting and checking multiple times daily, I have silkies who lay daily so I figured that would encourage them, but so far it has not lol

 

[nuthatched]

20 weeks is young for most breeds,most birds lay around 25 weeks

 

[Rooka_2]

Can you make a small pen that holds the feed, where a chicken can get in and a goat cannot? (This depends on the goats being enough bigger that a chicken-sized opeing will keep a goat out.)

Or you might try a bucket feeder, the kind with PVC elbow ports big enough for a chicken head (but maybe not big enough for a goat's mouth.)
Post 10 of this thread has photos of a style that might work:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-“right”-feeder.1586254/#post-26955547

The biggest issue I had with the bucket is that the goats knew the food was in there and so they were obsessed with trying to get the food out to the point of knocking it over. Even when I go to feed in the morning and at night they will finish their food within seconds then run to the chicken feed and head butt the chickens out of the way to get it.
I have to make a giant line so everyone gets some, it's become such a headache. Now we've just thrown the pig in there too and she does the exact same thing, in fact I sent pictures of her to her breeder and the breeder told me were feeding her too much lol. I laughed because I know it's because she's eating all the chicken feed. Luckily she's not even a worry after this weekend, I know the chickens will at least get a little more due to her not stealing food, but I have 3 more baby goats about to be put in there lol.
I need to come up with a solution because I actually plan on keeping a few roosters with my goats to keep the tick population down.