Will my chickens ever lay?

[ApiaryandAviary]

LOL XD

I certainly hope the chickens starts laying soon. But she will only when she is ready, all the bribing and petting them in the world will not help.
I know how it feels to wait and hatch them and lovingly care for them month by month and some start laying at 4 months, then 5 months and 6 months but when they reach 7 or 8 months I start to worry if I misread the chicken and it really might be a roo and then she starts to deliver and the eggs keep getting bigger and the shells get harder and then the big girls start putting out eggs that had to hurt and they are double yolks... Remember, good things come to those that wait and these girls really work hard for us. I reward mine with some mornings with chopped apples in warm oatmeal mush when the weather is exceptionally cold in the mornings Yes, All 200 of them.

 

[313759]

Just wait longer my duck hens were suppose to lay in the middle of summer but didn't start till fall but they weren't starved and grew up in a large run

 

[Garjzla]

I certainly hope the chickens starts laying soon. But she will only when she is ready, all the bribing and petting them in the world will not help.
I know how it feels to wait and hatch them and lovingly care for them month by month and some start laying at 4 months, then 5 months and 6 months but when they reach 7 or 8 months I start to worry if I misread the chicken and it really might be a roo and then she starts to deliver and the eggs keep getting bigger and the shells get harder and then the big girls start putting out eggs that had to hurt and they are double yolks... Remember, good things come to those that wait and these girls really work hard for us. I reward mine with some mornings with chopped apples in warm oatmeal mush when the weather is exceptionally cold in the mornings Yes, All 200 of them.

Wow, 200 hens!

 

[Benjamin III]

Maybe they are laying in a ditch or something and the eggs are hidden? Thats all I can think of. I always find eggs that are bad because the chickens sometimes lay in a bush and then a smell something bad and find old eggs.

 

[Benjamin III]

And then I smell something bad.

 

[Benjamin III]

Typo, sorry.

 

[winteree]

So I am new to having chickens ( My husband is not but I want this to be mainly my thing..lol)

My sister ( who never wants anything to do with the outdoors) got 6 chics the beginning of last spring. I think she thought it would be fun for my younger niece and nephew. But as the chicken grew bigger the fun went away and when they got no eggs she realized she didnt want them anymore. She nor my brother in law never really cared for the chickens, they would go several days without feed or water. and slept in a VERY small cage all crampped together. There was maybe 2 square feet of run for them.


So I convienced her to sell me her 6 hens. My husband and I spent all weekend building a very nice coop and a really big run. There are 6 nesting boxes, 2 perches and plently of laying feed and water for them.

So my question is, Any idea when I can expect them to start laying? Is there any feed better than the other that I can feed them? Right now I cam feeding them Dumor chicken laying crumble.

Any advice will be greatly appericated.

Thanks

if you haven't already you need to start them on a layer feed and get them a vitamin supplement of some type I personaly have had great success with poultry nutri-drench (you can still eat the eggs if they start laying when on this and you can buy it at most feed stores and amazon) and save a chick but if they where stressed and malnourished it can be up to a month or more before they lay but if they are being properly taken care of now it shouldn't be too much longer.

 

[TexasChicken12]

You can tell when they are about to lay when their comes and wattles grow larger and turn bright red. There are a few other ways to tell when they are about to start laying, but I won't put them here because I don't know exactly what they consist of because our gals are only 4 months and have not started laying yet. Hope this helps!

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

You can tell when they are about to lay when their comes and wattles grow larger and turn bright red. There are a few other ways to tell when they are about to start laying, but I won't put them here because I don't know exactly what they consist of because our gals are only 4 months and have not started laying yet. Hope this helps!

i have heatd that begore about their combs and wattles suddenly burting in growth and color. Seems reasonable on some breeds. Added later, I can always tell if I was in the backseat going down a mountainous country road while I type.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

TSC carries Chicken Kicken.
It is oil with vitamins and minerals added.
Mine love it.
When I serve up their fermented feed I add it and give it a little stir to incorporate throughout. They love it.
I guess the fermented feed, Oats, seeds. Brown sugar, Bragg's apple cider vinegar with the mother in it, yeast and then it makes a mish mash is a big draw but that last bit of adding the oils with vitamins and minerals can not hurt.

I have been busy getting the numbers down bc I am getting ready to go back through the ringer and get the other knee replaced, that fall really did me in. My husband has enough to do and now has hurt his old back, and helping me taking care of my chickens,.. I need to get the numbers down. I have given away to neighbors to the point that when they see me that start saying no, no, no more chickens. My husband says no more. My wife says no more.
You get the picture but really all I want to say is hi, sometimes. Buy they start with no more chickens. Any day now I expect to see them with a cross up at me as I drive by and wave.
I have posted Phoenix Bantam pairs up for sale on Craigslist but will give away to chicken lovers on backyardchickens.com near SWVirginia.