Pullet not laying

[Cesar Villegas]

Greetings, I was hoping to get some input on a pullet who not laid yet and shes almost a year old.

No signs of illness, she eats/drinks and acts normal. She lets the cockerel mount her, thats been going on for about 1.5 months. No external parasites. Ive check the droppings in the run/coop and no signs of worms. No signs of egg bound.

She's not an egg eater since I have roll away nest boxes. So far I have two AM's that are laying and I know there egg color.

Is this normal? Can her reproductive system be damaged? Is there anything I could do ?


V/r


- Cesar

[Mike Gilbert]

Once in a great while you get one like that.   She probably has some internal abnormality.   I don't think I would waste any more feed and space on her.
Sorry!

[Cesar Villegas]

Mike, Im going to have to agree with you on that. However she is the best pullet that I have. Im going to give her 1 more month, if nothing then I will have to cull her from my flock.

Any suggestions to help her get started?

[Mike Gilbert]

Just make sure she has a stress free environment and a good layer/breeder ration.   If she was getting a lot of corn during the grow-out period it is possible she has too much internal fat, but I don't know what kind of ration she has been getting.

[The Malcolms]

Since you think she is your best...
I would put her in a separate pen and if you have a white or brown egg layer she gets along with put them with her for company.  I have also had success leaving free choice oyster shell even if your regular ration has enough by itself.  Make sure it is oyster shell and not the calcium coral some companies are selling.  I have a couple birds that do not do as well on the coral.
PS I have 2 sister hens whose eggs are identical in shape and color so maybe the girls are pulling a fast one on you?

Good luck!

[John W Blehm]

Is this normal?

I've had at least a couple similar problems with pullets/hens this season.  They've been in breeding coops by themselves, with a cock or visits from cocks.  One is a bantam lavender.  I had given up hope and she finally laid an egg last week.  A partridge Chantecler hadn't laid an egg and I added her to a bunch of butcher birds I sold a couple weeks ago.
It happens. 

[Cesar Villegas]

John, Ill pick up a bag of a good breeder feed tommorrow. She with the rest her pen mates free eat regular layer feed. Plus i feed them treats e.g. tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce etc.. John, I just built some small pens, Ill keep her in one of those.

The Malcolm Family- You make a good point. Since Im home during the day, Im constantly checking on them through out the day. I can tell who went inside the nest box and its never her. Its become an obsession trying to see if she lays haha..

[Lee G]

Duds happen for sure. Last year I had a lovely splash pullet that laid big, beautiful sky blue eggs, but frustratingly remained infertile no matter what male I tried pairing her with....I gave up after four. And because I couldn't bare to look at her back then, she now resides at another neighbours farm who is happy to appreciate beauty for beauty itself.

That said, even if your pullet begins laying this month, I personally would not use her as a breeder. Almost a year old and no eggs just doesn't seem right to me. Not unless late laying is something you want more of.... as the saying goes, you only have what you tolerate....

Sorry to be a voice of dissension. 

[Mike Gilbert]

, I personally would not use her as a breeder. Almost a year old and no eggs just doesn't seem right to me. Not unless late laying is something you want more of.... as the saying goes, you only have what you tolerate....

Totally agree. 

[Cesar Villegas]

, I personally would not use her as a breeder. Almost a year old and no eggs just doesn't seem right to me. Not unless late laying is something you want more of.... as the saying goes, you only have what you tolerate....

Totally agree.

Mike is laying late a trait passed on from mother to son ?

[John W Blehm]

I'm somewhere in the middle on this.  There are times when a bird has some special trait/characteristic that you want in your flock and even though she isn't good layer you breed for that special something.  Mark her offspring to know which ones came from her.  Rate of lay is just one trait to consider and "compensation mating" is the tool to keep in mind with all this.

I know the old saying about "never say never", but a good rule of thumb that I've always gone by is to never hatch chicks from hens that never lay. 

[Michelle Ogden]

I have some pullets who haven't been laying. I think they don't like the breeding pens I've put them in. They've gone on strike. Only my split lav is laying 5-6 eggs a week. The others: zero. None show signs of illness or egg binding.
John, do you think adding on nest boxes to my pen design would help? Do your pens have boxes?
Currently I have removed the cocks from the pens to see if they were just not laying because of them (stage fright?), but it sounds like you sometimes leave cocks in without a problem?
My pens are 32x36 and I have 1-2 females in each.

[John W Blehm]

I have some pullets who haven't been laying. I think they don't like the breeding pens I've put them in. They've gone on strike. Only my split lav is laying 5-6 eggs a week. The others: zero. None show signs of illness or egg binding.
John, do you think adding on nest boxes to my pen design would help? Do your pens have boxes?
Currently I have removed the cocks from the pens to see if they were just not laying because of them (stage fright?), but it sounds like you sometimes leave cocks in without a problem?
My pens are 32x36 and I have 1-2 females in each.

With only one or hens per coop/pen I would try to only have a cock visit for a day or two once or twice a week.  The girls may get over worked by leaving one in 24/7.  In flock matings of say 7 or more hens I leave a cock in fulltime and rotate a different cock bird in and out once or twice a week, so one is always on his own resting up. 
My individual breeding coops for LF are a bit smaller and I have nesting areas in some, but not in the latest ones I built.  I don't thing it increases egg production either way.  With your bigger coops maybe a nest box in a secluded back corner would help.

[Beth Curran]

Hey, girl, good to see you here! Glad the split is laying well for you. Hope the lavs step up their game soon!

[Michelle Ogden]

Thanks John!
Yes, Beth, my split lays beautifully for me! She's got the best egg color out of them too!