[MarkBrad]

Hi all,

First time chicken owner and I've had the girls nearly 2 weeks now (see here: http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=41278.0 )

I've still not seen anything egg wise, I was originally expecting to have to wait 4-6 weeks for them to settle but after comments from members that I could expect sooner I'm now wondering if I'm doing something wrong. If I could detail my routine with them here and you can comment on anything I'm doing wrong.

Their home is about 2 sq meters, they have a 'floating' house with nesting box. The coop was advertised as suitable for 3-4 hens but I only have the two.

They are shut in the house/nesting box part over night and I let them out at 7am. They are fed on Johnsons Laying pellets in the moring, normally some veg scraps in the afternoon. About 20:00 I clean the whole home from top to bottom, the flags the coop is located on scrubbed and swilled with a weak Jeyes fliud and clean water to swill them again to wash away the Jeyes, fresh straw in the house/nest box. A small amount of laying pellets before being put back in the house at about 22:00 before we go to bed.

They are just about getting used to us. The brown one letting us hold her but the white one is still a bit nervous but we can hold her. We're not letting them out of the 2sq meter run into the garden yet until they are completely aty ease but even then it won't be for long periods as we have a Collie and the neighbourhood is full of cats.

Anything in the above you can see I'm doing wrong?

Cheers

Mark

[Roughlee Handled]

..............I'm now wondering if I'm doing something wrong. ....

Yes

Chickens need access to feed all the time.  They are not like Dogs or Cats. They are inessence a browsing animal, they can not eat there feed in two sittings.

How old are they in weeks?

You may be a little two clean with them, once a week with the Jeyes fluid.
Do they have anything to scratch around on?  A loose surface. This will not help them lay but will make them happier.

[snowflake]

All I can add is get a dummy egg and place in the nest box. you can buy them or hard boil a hen egg (Mark it just incase) this gives them a idea where to lay as most hens lay in the morning give them some peace and quiet then. Feed them and let them out by all means but the cleaning etc best done later in the day.

[MarkBrad]

OK, I'll have to fashion some kind of feeder to make sure they have feed at all times (their feed atm is just in a bowl). I've got an idea with an old lemonade bottle.

Would being too clean be a contributing factor?

EDIT:
I clean them in the evening so thats fine, I only let them out of the house in the morning. Should I give them the food in the house over night or will they be asleep? Sorry if these sound like daft questions but I'm used to parrots when it comes to taking care of birds.

They are 21 weeks+ and 17 weeks+. I've been told the 17week one will only start at 20 weeks.

Mark

[Roughlee Handled]

Would being too clean be a contributing factor?

No but not having enough food would.  I was just mentioning that they do not have to be cleaned everyday just once a week.

How old are they in weeks?

Do they have a loose surface to scratch in?

.........most hens lay in the morning ..............

A hen lays every 25 hours. FACT

[Roughlee Handled]

Are you have edited.

No food at night.
Remove food and put somewhere secure as you could encourage rodents. (do not think your wife would like that)

POL can be from 16+ weeks so fingers crossed. 

Have you a photo of there combs?
Do they squat when you go over to them (may be to pick them up)?

[Roughlee Handled]

................

.........most hens lay in the morning ..............

A hen lays every 25 hours. FACT

That is the norm for high volume, short period hybrids, not for pure breeds, who tend to lay allot less often, but over a longer period.

[MarkBrad]

If you look at the original post there is a link to a recent photo. I have been cleaning and removing all food for that reason so at least I'm doing something right  

If I go over to them the white one runs into the house box and brown one is a little more chilled but neither squat as such. I did see the white one squating in the pen yesterday which is the first time I've seen her 'sitting' when not in the house box.

[Roughlee Handled]

When they squat they put there wings out slightly and sometimes wobble on there legs ever so slightly. They are getting ready for you to jump on there back and tread them. So this means they are ready and about to lay.  It does not always happen. The white one looks not far off with a bit of food.....
 
Just to make you aware.  Your coop.  It looks like a Chinese import. Its not really going to last very long. You will notice it starting to break down sooner than you expect.  Just keep an eye on it. 

[Foxy]

They will lay when their ready, could be tomorrow, could be next month. Hybrids POL is anything from around 18weeks plus.
If the henhouse is the one I think it is then it is very small,they do like to forage and scatch around. The local cats shouldn't be a problem, I have 4! Dogs do need watching though.

[andreadon]

as an addition to the food - the recommended amount is 4and a hlaf ounces per bird per day.
i found it useful to measure that much out, then find a container that's that exact size and use that to fill the feeder every day.

and give them lots ofgreens like cabbages etc (whole so they can peck at it) because that'll give them nice yellow yolks when the time comes.
 

[themagicaltoad1]

I bought one of these coops about 5 weeks ago, it's already split and warped. The run is too small (despite what the seller says), can you let them free range for a while each day, or alternatively build them an extra bit of run?

[Ruby Red]

 
 If they arent being allowed to free range and are being kept on concrete all day then they definately need grass or greens of some kind hung up in the coop. The pellet feeders are only about £5. They wont be wasting as much either

[Roughlee Handled]

Greens or grass is what makes your eggs taste good.

[purplebat]

don't forget the oyster shell as well!
As Foxy said they will lay when they're ready and not before. The only thing I might add to the other posts is that my girls get quite stroppy if I disturb their nesting boxes too often, so maybe clean the run each day but do their boxes once a week? I think it's a case with mine that they get it just how they like it and then I turf it all out