No eggs

[sep1712]

Chickens are 20weeks and still no eggs.
What are we doing wrong?

as TheButterflyEffect says. our have all stopped for the winter...sometimes they lay sporadically at this time of ywar but they have decided to have a proper break this year!

Def. time of year. I have ten girls, nine of which have layed in the past. I'm lucky if I get an egg a day.

I didn't know they wouldn't lay in winter. We are in britain. Our outside light is on till late but their usually tucked up for the night by dusk. DH has told me to hold the turkey as thy may well be on our plates for christmas dinner if their not laying by then!!! We can't do that to Ronnie, Roxie and Peggy!!
They are on Layer pellets plus anything left over.

I am praying my silkie (20 weeks) comes into lay before my male finds his big voice that the neighbours can complain about, so I am able to get my next generation before the neighbours complain ;)

Mine are about the same age as yours, a few weeks older if anything and are not laying either. The man we got them off said they wouldn't until spring.

Try taking them off layer's pellets for a few weeks and give them a crushed corn/ wheat mix instead. Make sure they have greens to peck on as well eg cabbage, kale, carrot tops.
In mid Feb introduce the layers pellets again in their grain gradually upping it to 100% pellets.

This regime should set them up well for laying in the spring.

Around St Valentine's day this year although we have some new Scots Greys that are still giving us eggs - I think they are one of the breeds that lay all year round.They are in a run.

There may be other eggs but the bulk of our hens are mostly feral. We found an egg in the tractor last week!

Lovely, lovely little things. Docile, hardy and good egg layers.
The cockerels have their areas but are generally ok but VERY protective about their hens. They also tend to stay with their own and ignore the dirty stop outs stray hens that wander free range.

We have the bantam type and I think they are great. Strangely for bantams they lay full size eggs.

Yes, I would be happy to as they are now a rare breed but wonderful little hens.
The males are kept away from the females just now (to give hens a rest) but will be pared up in spring.
pic and info

One way of calming an aggressive cockerel is to catch him and stroke him in front of the other poultry.
It shows them that you are the dominant one.

Oh, that sounded like I'm a mad staring-eyed chicken woman but it really works...

It worked with our Armande - a big fluffy Cochin who was just begging to be picked up and cuddled but who liked to act hard.
Yes, they hate it for about ten minutes but sort of relax into it.

I wondered what would happen between all our cockerels but they all seem to get on ok and none of them are aggressive despite being different breeds and sizes.
They each keep to their own territory though.

I think Mr Nasty should be getting ready for the Great Hereafter.....

One hen has not laid since August! The other hen lays an egg every 3 days or so and they are both the same age but the layer is a Buff Orpington and the non-layer a Maran.
But then by the end of February they usually go mental!

I like the sound of your Scots Greys GentleOtter.

Sep1712 which breed of hens have you got?

We have four Rangergingernut ranger and they are fab layers and very friendly, I would love a few different hens, but I don't want more eggs, we get 3-4 a day,most of the year.