Easter Eggers that have never laid eggs

[georgiagirl1216]

A friend has 2 Easter Eggers that they say have never laid eggs. They were wanting to get rid of the 2 for that reason. I’m not sure how old they are but I’ve known they had chickens for at least 2 years or more. I don’t know what they’ve been feeding them but they do have a Rhode Island Red that does lay eggs. I’m going to take them to give them a home but I’d like to play around with their feed and see if I could get them to laying. Anyone else had this problem?

 

[nuthatched]

How did your friend confirm they don't lay?
You can do a vent check or pelvic exam. A better grade laying feed might help too.

 

[georgiagirl1216]

How did your friend confirm they don't lay?
You can do a vent check or pelvic exam. A better grade laying feed might help too.

I’m not sure. I didn’t actually talk to them, it’s my husband’s friend and I’m not around them that much. I’m always up for free chickens and I love a good challenge.

 

[NatJ]

Possible reasons for the Easter Eggers not laying eggs:
--they may be male

--they may be females, laying eggs in a hidden nest

--they may be females who lay brown eggs, and the owner doesn't realize that they really are laying

--they may be females with some kind of hormone issue or reproductive issue. Some females never do lay eggs.

--they may be females who need more food or different food

I’d like to play around with their feed and see if I could get them to laying.

I think the food is probably not the issue, but some kinds of playing with it should be safe and harmless.

I would start by providing free-choice chick starter, with a separate dish of free-choice oyster shell. That gives them plenty of protein and other nutrients, with the ability to adjust their calcium intake according to how much they need. That should be a safe and healthy diet for any chicken, male or female, laying or not. (Flock Raiser would work just as well as chick starter-- I would choose whichever is easier to get or cheaper.)

 

[nuthatched]

I’m not sure. I didn’t actually talk to them, it’s my husband’s friend and I’m not around them that much. I’m always up for free chickens and I love a good challenge.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[georgiagirl1216]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

I was reading this article, great information! I’ve never had to do a vent check or pelvic check. My hens have just always done what they were supposed to do. I honestly feel like they just didn’t spend much time with the hens and they don’t know what they’re talking about. My experience with Easter Eggers has been that they are a little more finicky. They take a little longer to lay and they sometimes are particular where they lay. I’ve never had any that laid brown eggs. That’s pretty cool!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Possible reasons for the Easter Eggers not laying eggs:
--they may be male

--they may be females, laying eggs in a hidden nest

--they may be females who lay brown eggs, and the owner doesn't realize that they really are laying

--they may be females with some kind of hormone issue or reproductive issue. Some females never do lay eggs.

--they may be females who need more food or different food



I think the food is probably not the issue, but some kinds of playing with it should be safe and harmless.

I would start by providing free-choice chick starter, with a separate dish of free-choice oyster shell. That gives them plenty of protein and other nutrients, with the ability to adjust their calcium intake according to how much they need. That should be a safe and healthy diet for any chicken, male or female, laying or not. (Flock Raiser would work just as well as chick starter-- I would choose whichever is easier to get or cheaper.)

Excellent post. The only thing I'll add is that they may not be laying right now because it may be winter if you are north of the equator but they could start back up later in the spring so the vent check may show them to not be laying right now but they could later in the year.

 

[Magda12]

I was reading this article, great information! I’ve never had to do a vent check or pelvic check. My hens have just always done what they were supposed to do. I honestly feel like they just didn’t spend much time with the hens and they don’t know what they’re talking about. My experience with Easter Eggers has been that they are a little more finicky. They take a little longer to lay and they sometimes are particular where they lay. I’ve never had any that laid brown eggs. That’s pretty cool!

I have 7 EEs (and 3 olive/green egger hybrids), they started laying at 20 weeks exactly and all within a week (maybe 2) of that first egg.

My black EE, Bellatrix, lays "brown" eggs, but they might actually be considered pink? They're very light, almost peachy.

They definitely do not lay daily consistently. At their peak, I typically get 8 a day. Here and there all 10 will lay the same day.

Not that anyone asked, just thought I'd throw in my experience so far