why no eggs?(update and contest)

[havi]

Im still with the EEs

Edited to add:

For the longest time I had pine shavings in their nest box. Well I happen to replace it with very fine straw and bam! 3 eggs in one day. Its been that way for the past three days, ever since I put the straw in there. I dont know if that makes a difference or not, but my girls seem to love it. They dont try to eat it or anything. Plus when theyre doing their little scratch and squat thing when they lay their eggs the straw stays in the nests. Where the shavings seemed to fly everywhere and I would end up with a little dirt on the egg or it being cracked.

 

[milleryardchx]

Quote:
Yours aren't the oldest!!! I think I take that award haha my EE is a little over 7 months and has yet to lay me a green egg! I swear her egg plumbing is broken!

 

[vfem]

Quote:
See thats just CRAZY! It was the same thing with the Silkie girl. No straw, then the day after the I put the straw in... EGG! I've gotten 3 eggs in 4 days and they are all just perfect looking each time. (Dying to get enough to eat with hubby and child though.)

 

[siz8003]

I will try the straw

 

[cajunlizz]

Trust me , her laying had NOTHING to do with STRAW .

 

[siz8003]

Quote:
Does this wing look like its in a molt?

 

[scrapmom5]

Quote:
My Guess would be as follows:

1st - EE
2nd - BSF
3rd - RIR
4th - Marans
5th - SS and Cochin

My EE just started to lay and she is about 25 weeks. My Cochin started at 23 weeks but can't remember to lay in her nest box. My RIR is only 18 weeks and most likely will not lay this month.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...I really hope to win...this would by my first hatching eggs.

 

[scrapmom5]

Quote:
Does this wing look like its in a molt?
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb239/sarataillon/82808002.jpg

It is easier to tell if they are molting by looking at the tail. They lose the long ones. You can also tell by cleaning out the hen house...You will have almost as much feathers as you have droppings.

When My birds molt, the hen house looks like the birds were plucked...yet the bird doesn't look bare...go figure. All of my birds went through a molt right before they started to lay.

One other word of advise...Tell the hens that if they don't start laying they will end up on the grill...I told my duck that if she didn't stop laying in the pond she would be dinner and now she lays in the nest every single day without fail. I threatened my cochin to, it almost worked...she layed for 9 days in the nest box and yesterday we found one under the hen house in the far corner where I can't reach. Had to send 4 year old out to grab it. We will chat with her again.

GOOD LUCK.

 

[siz8003]

around the yard it looks like we had a murder but I still have them all

so they must be in a molt

 

[citygal/countrygalRN]

I am having similar problems. My flock of 2 EE's, 2 Cuckoo Marans, 3 Wyandottes, 2 Delawares and 1 ugly turkin are not laying much yet. I put a nesting box in when I found an egg on the floor at around 18 wks. We went on vacation and the neighbor kid said he got about 6 eggs in 2 weeks. Now we have been getting one egg every 2-3 days. I think only one is laying, I don't know which. One maran goes in to the coop by herself and gets into the nest box, stands there making lots of noise, then jumps down and walks away leaving nothing. I think they are sleeping in the box, but only one or two of them. Most roost on top of it.
I was feeding layer crumble when they first started to lay. I switched to pellets to see if it would be less messy, and added a little 4 grain scratch when they are free ranging during the day. The pellets do not seem to be disappearing as fast as the crumble, but there isn't as much mess on the floor either. It was hot for a few days earlier, but it cooled off this week and we have only had 1 egg on Monday. What do I need to do?

This is our first shot at chickens.