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Ally

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Hi I'm new at keeping chickens. I have 3 hybrids, a rhode rock 29 weeks, a blue Maran and a brown leghorn who are 26 weeks.
The rock rock has been laying for about 3 weeks but around 1 egg alternate days but she hasn't laid for 5 days. The other 2 haven't started laying yet although they have very red comb and wattles. This morning I found a broken soft shell egg in the nest box.
Any ideas about why there was a soft shell egg and what may have stopped the rhode rock from laying. Also why the other 2 haven't started laying yet?
Ally
 
Laying is always a bit erratic when they start Ally, especially as the days are getting shorter now. The Rhode Rock might stop over Winter but I would expect her just to slow down to an egg every 2-3 days. Some chickens lay as early as 21 weeks and some as late as 36. The blue Marans I presume isn't a hybrid and neither is the brown Leghorn so as Pedigrees they will lay much later anyway -I would expect around 26-30 weeks.
 
Hi Ally and welcome to the Forum.
Whilst Chris is right in saying that many Marans and Leghorns are purebreds, you are most probably right in saying that your particular birds are hybrids, and so should lay well once they get going. I have a Brown Leghorn hybrid who has laid beautiful white eggs for two years now, and many hybrids are a Marans cross. If you had them a bit earlier in the summer they would all undoubtedly be laying by now, but the age of starting lay depends very much on the light levels being sufficient to stimulate a pullets's pituitary gland into 'puberty'. I am in the same position, with one little hybrid who came into lay in October and is now steadily producing, whereas the other one of this new pair, who is a week or so younger, hasn't made it into lay although her comb is red, so I don't expect any eggs from her until the New Year. However, pullets that have that extra time to mature naturally usually turn into good strong birds who will lay well once they start. The eggs get larger as well, with practice. My new little hybrid started laying tiny pullet eggs, about 35 grams, and is now up to 45 grams in gradual increments.
The Rock may be erratic in her laying, this is common among pullets just starting as their hormones take a while to settle down, and also she has the declining light levels which won't be helping. However, you should get a few from her and by the New Year she should be going full steam ahead. Soft shelled eggs are common in new layers, just be as careful as you can to collect her eggs as soon as possible after she lays, so the others don't get the chance to learn how to eat them, as egg eating is a vice which is difficult or impossible to cure in hens.
You just have to be patient with teenage pullets, they will all get here, I'm sure,
 
Hi Ally
I am returning to keeping chickens after a 20 year break and feel like I am learning it all again.
You need a little patience which is really hard as we all love the excitement of seeing what eggs have been laid each day.
It feels like a real disappointment when your waiting or expecting one and it hasn't arrived.
As long as you have healthy birds, nature will take its course and the eggs will arrive.
In the meantime just enjoy them and learn their little habits as thats one way you can start to tell if something is not right
Dave
 
Thank you for replying. There's lots to learn but I'm really enjoying the hens. I think it might be a bit addictive!
 
If you want them to lay well, feed them commercial feed and give additional light (14-16 hours total light).
 
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