[scabs]

When I bought my two girls, the seller said that they were just coming into lay (something about getting two fingers between some bones) and, sure enough, on day one we got an egg, very thin and pale and crushed, but an egg. We then got roughly one egg every other day, with the quality improving over about a week.

Trouble is, we're still only getting one egg every other day.

The girls have a steady supply of pellets, grit and water, and have the full run of our smallish garden all day.

I have tried not to over-treat them, as advised, but they must be getting quite a lot in the way of bugs/greenery, as I have virtually no garden left! 

What am I doing wrong?

[joyfull]

you are doing absolutly nothing wrong, hens just mature at different times (like people - grannie annie has one that never has much like some blokes I know  ) so don't worry the other will come into lay in her own good time 

[cathangirl]

Scabs,
Have you also put oyster shell down for your girls?  For the calcium.
My pol were only about 15 weeks old (I learned that from pics on this site), so instead of eggs in a few days, we waited 6 weeks for the first one, and up until six months for all nine to lay in one day.
cathangirl.

[Roughlee Handled]

Do you know how old they are in weeks?
Do they squat for you when you approach them?
Have you any photos of them in particular the combs?

[SMD66]

what breed are they?  Some lay an egg a day, some don't.  Pure breeds are not as prolific

[Roughlee Handled]

I know scabs has gone for ISA Browns
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=38919.msg462545#msg462545

They're Warrens (ISA Browns, now I think). They're 'two fingers' so about to start laying - apparently! This is what the breeder tells me, anyway, I just stood nodding and wondering how quickly I could get a huge run set up... he has some beautiful birds.

My eldest son had a look, said 'oh yeah' and is now in front of the telly; my daughter stood at the coop for about 20 minutes and then announced that they were called Chloe and... erm, something. Just waiting for my youngest lad to get home, though I suspect he'll just want to eat them.

The cat definitely wants to eat them. 

The one in the photo looks OK.  You do have feed out for them all the time?

[scabs]

Hi all. Sorry, I was pretending to work whilse following the cricket on-line.

Erm, let's see... they're Warrens but I'm afraid that I'm not sure of their age; I'm using a mixed grit that includes oyster shell (as discussed with the good Mr Rough  )

When  I approach them, they just run up to me, I've never noticed them squat... I just checked my photos here at work and they all show the same bird, Chloe, and not Sophie, who I'd say is slightly smaller, slightly paler in colour and her comb is not drooped over like Chloe's...

Food is available all day.

I thought maybe I was doing something wrong..?

[Roughlee Handled]

There could be a possibility that you have been sold two old birds (18 months - 2 years of age). That could be why they are laying rarely.

[scabs]

It's possible, I guess, but what about the thin pale eggs that have got more 'egg-like' over a week or so, does that not indicate an 'new' layer?

[Roughlee Handled]

Are they smaller than a normal egg?

[scabs]

marginally perhaps, but roughly the same... rough tops to them at the moment and I'd say the shell was still a little on the thin side.

[Roughlee Handled]

The shell could be due to there age, whether they are in a partial moult (chickens will go through a partial and a full moult in a year) the weather.  I do not think you are doing anything wrong.

You could check the rings on there teeth and count them this will give you an accurate age of the chicken. 

[scabs]

Say what...?   

Do you know what, I love them and can live without every other egg. No need to delve about in their gobs... 

[Roughlee Handled]

Joking about the hens teeth. 

[scabs]

Thanks. I was just about to delve into my book. 

I suppose I should get sent to the shop for a glass hammer and a long weight.