Never laid an egg!

A

Aileen

New member
Joined
Jan 4, 2011
Messages
302
Reaction score
0
Location
Just outside Glasgow
Hey folks,
I am a newbie who has just asked the same question, but I may have asked it in the wrong section... sorry!
I have 6 birds -
Pekin and Sussex - owned since April 2010 - had 2 eggs off pekin (July 2010), none off Sussex (Got at 6 weeks old.. so should be old enough now...)
1 Cuckoo Maran and 1 SSH - Bought Sept 2010 @ POL - no eggs
2 Pekin babies - too young and way too cute!
I am a tad concerned as I am struggling to find an answer, hens stop laying but why my hens has never laid is a mystery!! Having previously had 4 great laying hybrids I don't know what I am doing differently / wrong...
My pekin who laid in July has stopped but she has a poorly eye been losing the battle with an eye infection since July.. guessing this may be why she has stopped , her system will be under stress buy as to why the others have never laid...? Any answers? Getting embarassing, chickns and no eggs! LOL!
Cheeri A x
 
wish i cold give you an answer but i cant i think you will just have to play the waiting game as the days start getting longer they may just start to lay , hopfully someone else will be able to answer your question for you .
 
none of my 2010 hatches have laid yet - winter came too soon!
dont worry until at least after Valentines day... and give them a while after that :roll:

Be thankful they aren't quail... mine decided September was winter, thanks very much so no more eggs til spring!

I know its frustrating (and as you say, quite embarrassing!) to have hens & no eggs, but think how great tasting the first ones will be :)
 
One of the problems with buying the "traditional breeds" is that often they are bred mainly for showing ie what colour are their feathers and eyes, how many points are there on the comb.

This is fine if you want to win prizes at a poultry show, but (in my opinion) rather misses the point of what I keep a chicken/hen for.

It is good to support traditional breeds, and often they can be well suited to backyard/ garden poultry keepers, but try to do some research and perhaps buy from breeders who are concentrating on the utility qualities of their birds as well as their technical beauty features.

Before I started breeding my own Marans I found most birds I could find to buy, were at best poor layers, and very late starting their laying cycle, and it is something I have made a serious attempt to redress - my earliest laying pullet last year came into lay at between 18-19 weeks old, and my best laying hen last year was producing 6-7 eggs a week throughout her laying cycle, and in fact was also producing a good dark-shelled egg.

Very often it is the strain, rather than the breed which gives results.

Be that as it may your birds should be laying very soon now as the daylight hours begin to lengthen, and if not..... Well if they are pets just love them, and enjoy the occasional egg and when they do produce one it will be all that much more special. :) :)

All the best
Sue
 
As Leslie Bonnet says in his book from circa 1965 "Even the Sparrows lay in Spring" ;)

As the daylight hours lengthen, they should come into lay - the more prolific layers start first but all should be in lay if they are fit and able around mid Feb as Blue said.
 
Thank you!!! For such prompt honest responses!!! I shall keep you informed as to my chicken-no egg progress!!
I have to admit I am very glad to hear I am not the only one with this issue.... I was beginning to put it down to my badly made porridge which they have been getting due to the current cold snap! x

Happy new year folks and I will be back soon

A x
 
It is true what Sue says. I have Pekins and they are not the greatest layers as they do spend alot of time being broody (I have got a couple broody now even in the depths of winter!) :-)07 The Sussex I thought would be good layers so I don't know why they haven't yet. We bought 2 POL Pekins in September/Oct and they did lay loads of eggs up until 2 weeks ago. Now we are only getting 1 egg a day but I have great hopes for the end of Feb. I'm sure your long awaited eggs will be all the more appreciated once they arrive and as for the Pekins, they have so much charm and character you will forgive them anything.............. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
IS IT A BIRD...... IS IT A PLANE.......... OH BLOODY HELL IT'S AN EGG!!!!! :-)08 :lol: :roll: :-)08 :lol: :roll:
Yes folks I have my first ever egg from my girlies - I think it's been my LF sussex as she's been hiding a bit the last couple of days, poor lass must have felt something brewing, I opened up their run this morning and there wasn't the usual clamour... so I thought "oh god Dottie hen's dead..." but they were all just stood, kinda stunned like "what the heck has just happened!!" very very funny!
So good call on the lighter days theory, I didn't have to wait until Valentines day.... keep everything crossed my others aren't too far behind!!
Byee, off to enjoy my egg............ x
 
I said you would enjoy it when it finally arrived :-)08

All being well you should certainly be getting more over the next couple of months :-)17 :-)17

All the best
Sue
 
Ahhh well done to your girls..... :-)08

Better start thinking about buying your egg-boxes, and all those cakes, quiches and meringues you can bake with all these yummy eggs to come........ :lol:

(6 egg meringue in oven as type)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top