My 6 month old chicks haven’t laid eggs

[Megismeg]

Hi all! I have 3, 6 month old pullets - a buff Orpington, Easter egger and blue Plymouth. None of them have started laying eggs yet. I feed them the Cluck & Co scratch grain mix in a feeder and will give them scratch food from our leftovers occasionally. I also offer them a calcium rich snack and make sure their water feeder is always full. Their coop gets some light during the day but I wouldn’t say it’s super bright, so I’m not sure if that’s a problem. All of their combs and waddles are pretty red and have gotten darker over the last 6 weeks or so. They are also pretty vocal whenever I’m around them. Does anyone know what else needs to be doing to help?

 

[DobieLover]

Cluck & Co scratch grain mix

This is not a balanced feed but just a treat and should only be fed at a maximum of 5% of their total daily ration. Have you been feeding this for a long time?
Do you let them out of the coop?
I would immediately get them on a properly balanced ration, preferably an all flock type of feed that offers 18 to 20% protein. Keep a container or two of oyster shell on the side for when they do start laying. It should be soon now.

 

[nuthatched]

I feed them the Cluck & Co scratch grain mix

Are they getting any real feed? Have they always eaten this?
Scratch is like a steady diet of French fries.

 

[GracePoultry]

The scratch grains on their own is not a complete diet and it doesn't have the necessary nutrients to sustain chickens properly. Scratch grains are perfectly ok to use as a mix in with some pellets its just important not to overdo it.
I'd recommend an all flock food. you might need to take away scratch completely at first if they ignore the pellets since its not as interesting to a chicken, but they're very important

 

[Megismeg]

This is not a balanced feed but just a treat and should only be fed at a maximum of 5% of their total daily ration. Have you been feeding this for a long time?
Do you let them out of the coop?
I would immediately get them on a properly balanced ration, preferably an all flock type of feed that offers 18 to 20% protein. Keep a container or two of oyster shell on the side for when they do start laying. It should be soon now.

Oh my gosh I feel like such an idiot! I started giving them this about a month or or so ago. I will go and get them a proper laying feed today! And only offer that to them a couple days a week. Are they at risk of malnutrition??

They also have eaten all the grass out of their run area - do you have any recommendations for what I should start laying for them on the ground?

 

[rosemarythyme]

They also have eaten all the grass out of their run area - do you have any recommendations for what I should start laying for them on the ground?

Where do you live or what is your climate like? What's readily available in your area, i.e. do you have sandy soil and an arid climate, or lots of rainfall and lots of trees and leaf litter?

 

[DobieLover]

Oh my gosh I feel like such an idiot! I started giving them this about a month or or so ago. I will go and get them a proper laying feed today! And only offer that to them a couple days a week. Are they at risk of malnutrition??

They also have eaten all the grass out of their run area - do you have any recommendations for what I should start laying for them on the ground?

I would not get a layer feed. Get an all flock type of feed like All Flock, Flock Raiser or a good chick starter crumble. Anything that is good for any gender and offers 18-20% protein. Then put out 1 or 2 containers with oyster shells for free choice feeding. You will never have to change what you feed your flock based on new flock members or time of the year because none are laying by feeding this way.

 

[rural mouse]

In addition, some birds take their time. There's a lady on byc with a silkie that was at least 11 months before 1st egg came. That sort of time line doesn't happen often, but it can happen. Some breeds like brahmas are 6-8 months. Your ladies sound like they're getting close anyway.

 

[Altairsky]

6 months is too early. Mine never start laying before 8 months.

 

[NewcoopNewpoop]

My buff orp started laying around 8 or 9 months in the middle of winter. We started feeding layer mash by cluck and co (add water and mix) and i dress it with scratch and mix it in. They also get layer crumbles as their basic feed.

The orp and my bc maran started squatting about a week before they began to lay. That was the surest sign they were about to start.