Still no eggs from the girls!!! UPDATE!!!

Poppy7

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We have two lovely Pekins. They are well over 6 months old now and we still haven't had an egg from them!! My children are desperate to find their first egg but are still waiting!!

Our girls are in good health, have a good diet and a lovely house.

Any idea why they still haven't laid anything?
 
Hi Poppy7.
Your experience isn't unusual. If the hens haven't quite got around to laying when the days get too short, general wisdom is that they'll probably wait until Valentine's Day or later before coming into lay, but that they'll be all the stronger for it when they do.

Don't give up hope though; my Light Sussex, who's around 7 months old now, suprised me with her first egg last Monday! It had a beautiful pinkish colour shell & was nestled in the corner of the greenhouse. I suspect that she didn't realise what was happening until the egg emerged; she's laid 4 more since then, all in the nestbox, despite having to cross her legs for several hours today while I cleaned out the coop :-)11

I noticed a few days before her first egg that she started to squat when I tried to touch her, & finally started to let me pick her up for a cuddle. We've had her since late July, & she'd never been keen on being handled before, so this squat reflex is something to watch out for. I think it was Marigold who told me (apologies if it was someone else) that hens squat like this when they're ready for the attention of a cockerel, so I guess it's a good indication that they're fertile & ready to start producing eggs.

However long you have to wait, it'll be worth it!
 
Hi Poppy,
Other things to watch for, as well as what Icemaiden has said, are whether their combs are getting red and bigger, and whether they show interest in the nestboxes, just sort of exploring the accommodation.
As yours are Pekins, rather than a breed mainly kept for egglaying such as the hybrids, its probable they're going to hang on until the New Year. Nothing you can do about it, nature has to take its course I'm afraid, But even a couple of weeks after the winter solstice really seems to wake the birds up, wild ones as well as chickens, and they get a move on with thinking about the breeding season.
 
Thank you guys :)

They have got beautiful red faces, make all the right clucky noises and even sleep in their nest box (well they used to until we got an Eglu on Saturday and now they don't have that luxury!).

Oh well....we will just have to be patient :lol:
 
The bright red faces indicate that eggs may well soon be on their way.
When they arrive you will enjoy them very much, I have Pekins, and they lay eggs with very rich yolks and very little whites usually, wonderful for cakes and cooking.
My this years girls are just starting to lay now.
You will get eggs soon and be delighted.
 
WE HAVE AN EGG!!!!

I went out tonight and there was a perfect, creamy white egg. Lovely shape and size.

I am so pleased :-)08
 
Congratulations,
tonight I had an identical sounding egg from another of my girls of the feathered feet variety, blue millefleur this time, well done yours!
 
The children will have pancakes on Saturday. :-)17

Tonight there was ANOTHER egg!!! I actually cannot believe it! My other half is finally seeing the benefit of our girls :lol:
 
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