Year old hens never laid an egg

[alsykes2000]

I have 2 hens from Murray mcmurray hatchery that are over a year old, both are “Ameraucana” but really Easter eggers. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I got them along with 6 other in April 2023. All the other girls have been laying for months. They are on high quality feed, are allowed to free range all day in my 2 acre fenced in yard, plus they get healthy kitchen scraps several times a week. And I have looked everywhere, they don’t have a hidden stash.

 

[nuthatched]

Have you done a butt check?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Have you checked their vents to see if they're likely laying? https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/ If so, with 2 acres, they possibly could be stashing eggs anywhere... you could try locking them in their run for a few days to see if extra eggs appear.

 

[alsykes2000]

Have you done a butt check?

I have not

 

[nuthatched]

I have not

Look at their vents, if they're wide, pink and moist, they're laying. If they're dry tight and yellowish, they aren't. How do you know they aren't laying.

 

[alsykes2000]

Have you checked their vents to see if they're likely laying? https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/ If so, with 2 acres, they possibly could be stashing eggs anywhere... you could try locking them in their run for a few days to see if extra eggs appear.

I have not checked vents, but there have been days I left them in the run earlier inn the spring, and nothing. I can’t imagine anywhere else to look in the yard that I don’t already check.

 

[Grind Hard Farm]

here's a picture from the article @rosemarythyme sent

 

[alsykes2000]

Look at their vents, if they're wide, pink and moist, they're laying. If they're dry tight and yellowish, they aren't. How do you know they aren't laying.

 

[alsykes2000]

I’ll check them, but I know who lays each egg by color, or speckles and different breeds, plus I’ve never seen them take any interest in the nest boxes or egg song, etc like the other 6.

 

[aart]

Do you think they are not laying because you are not getting any blue/green eggs? Not all EE lay them.

but there have been days I left them in the run earlier inn the spring

It can take more than a day here and there.
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.