will all hens eventually lay ?

[moosenbudda]

I have some hens that were neglected by the previous ower there all between 2- 9 months old and I have not seen any eggs. Most are going through what I think maybe a molt but will they all eventually lay ? heres a picture of what the " molt " looks like

 

[BarkerChickens]

The one's in the picture look a little young to start laying yet. Usually they will lay around 5-6 months old, but if they were neglected, the may be a little behind developmentally. That doesn't look like a molt. It looks like neglect (and feather pecking and scratching from a roo). Maybe give them some grower/maintenance feed and a little bit of cat food (good protein). Pullets generally don't molt.

 

[lafemmeale]

Really BarkerChicken?? Pullets don't molt?? I adopted 2 EE pullets who were "weeks away" from laying about 6 weeks ago and there are feathers EVERYWHERE every night. I assumed someone was molting, but haven't seen any thin spots on any of them... They haven't started laying & they're mean birds... I'm wondering if I got duped & got duds? Maybe older hens??? She said she didn't know exactly how old they were when she sold them to me. I just started 'collecting' chickens this summer and am a bit too trusting at times... Maybe I don't know what I'm looking for??

 

[moosenbudda]

I think i got duped too ! I guess this is what I get for feeling sorry for these chickens. I dont think im ever going to get eggs out of these chickens. I think there going to go on craigslist and Im going to go back to sexlinks.

 

[Akane]

Young chickens do molt and you will see lots of feathers in the coop but not like in the picture. They don't go through full molts where they lose all their feathers and have giant bare patches. Even most normal full molts aren't that bad. Even if it could happen in an extreme molt it wouldn't happen their first year. I would definitely say it looks like feather picking and agree they look too young to be ready to lay. That doesn't mean they won't turn out to be everything you want provided you are willing to wait. They just aren't going to lay now or probably even in the next few weeks.