10 month Australorp still not laying?

[Areyoucluckingme]

I know Australorps are supposed to be really reliable egg layers and I've got several who are, but this gal is just taking forever!! She was hatched in May of 2022 and isn't laying! ALL my other chickens started laying early this year - in January. I even have chicks from July 2022 that started laying in January at only 5.5 months old. Any ideas?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are they confined to a run? I had a very sneaky australorp who would find the oddest spots to lay.

 

[Areyoucluckingme]

Are they confined to a run? I had a very sneaky australorp who would find the oddest spots to lay.

Yes unfortunately they are confined to a fenced run due to predators. Not too many sneaky places to lay right now

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Yes unfortunately they are confined to a fenced run due to predators. Not too many sneaky places to lay right now

Is she from a hatchery? Or breeder quality? It is odd for them to take more than 6-9 months to start to lay. I think @aart can share how to check the pelvic bones to see if they are getting close. Hopefully she will share.

 

[Areyoucluckingme]

Is she from a hatchery? Or breeder quality? It is odd for them to take more than 6-9 months to start to lay. I think @aart can share how to check the pelvic bones to see if they are getting close. Hopefully she will share.

We hatched her ourselves along with her brother (who we no longer have). She looks beautiful and healthy and has a bright red comb so I really thought she'd show some actions now. She is a purebred but definitely not fancy breeding.

 

[3KillerBs]

Look in every possible nook and cranny where a very determined hen *might fit.

That said, sometimes a hen is simply a dud.

If she really isn't laying (or maybe laying only sofies that get eaten before you find them), I'd not only not breed her but not breed her parents again.

 

[Cindy in PA]

How do you know she isn't laying?

 

[Areyoucluckingme]

How do you know she isn't laying?

Basically process of elimination and the fact that I've never seen her in a nesting box. I have 9 chickens total....

1 is a rooster
2 are only 4 months and not laying
1 lays green eggs


That leaves 5 other hens that lay and I've only seen 4 of them in the box and I'm only getting 3 to 4 eggs a day. I should be getting more than that if all 6 of my layers were laying!

I work from home and I go outside to see them regularly and she's the only one i'm not seeing go into any nesting boxes.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You could try putting food coloring on her vent to see for sure if she’s laying or not. If she is, the eggs would be marked. Just don’t use red or you might forget and freak thinking it’s blood