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[randylyons]

We're not new to raising chickens (we had 12 mature layers when we lived in Florida), but we are now in North Georgia and this is a new group of girls. We purchased them from a chicken farmer who told us the girls were about 12 weeks old and would be laying any day. Well, that was 3 months ago, and only two of the girls are laying and they are very small eggs. Since one of the two is now brooding and hasn't laid in two weeks, we get one egg about every other day. Any ideas, suggestions or advice? Since our girls in Florida were already laying full sized eggs daily, we're in unchartered territory here.

 

[CluckerFamily]

What kind of chickens are they?

 

[Ebony Rose]

Different breeds of chickens lay different sizes & quantity of eggs; also, new layers lay smaller eggs than 'old pros' too. Pictures of your birds will help determine their breed; from there, an idea of what typical laying is like for them can be ascertained.

 

[aart]

Could be they were younger than he said.

Since one of the two is now brooding and hasn't laid in two weeks

Are you letting her hatch?

 

[Aapomp831]

No chicken lays eggs at 12 weeks. 21 is typical.

 

[Aapomp831]

We're not new to raising chickens (we had 12 mature layers when we lived in Florida), but we are now in North Georgia and this is a new group of girls. We purchased them from a chicken farmer who told us the girls were about 12 weeks old and would be laying any day. Well, that was 3 months ago, and only two of the girls are laying and they are very small eggs. Since one of the two is now brooding and hasn't laid in two weeks, we get one egg about every other day. Any ideas, suggestions or advice? Since our girls in Florida were already laying full sized eggs daily, we're in unchartered territory here.

It was stupid for the farmer to tell you at 12 weeks they were about to lay. He doesn’t sound very credible to me; no chicken lays at 12 weeks or close to it. Also, you won’t get eggs from your broody unless you break her; and unless you have hybrid sex linked chickens you’re not going to get an egg every single day... even sex links take a day off every once in awhile.

 

[randylyons]

Could be they were younger than he said.

Are you letting her hatch?

She's not laying. She's sitting on two artificial eggs I put in each box to show all of them where to lay. Should I take the artificial eggs out?

 

[aart]

She's not laying. She's sitting on two artificial eggs I put in each box to show all of them where to lay. Should I take the artificial eggs out?

Has she ever laid?

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.