Shouldn't my RIR be laying by now? She is the most hen pecked, bottom of the pecking order gal that I have, could this cause her to be delayed? She is really a nervous wreck....she always acts like she's expecting a beating at the food dish. Just curious...all my other hens lay like clock work.
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My Ameraucana was the same way. She was actually going on 7 months old when I finally happened onto her egg stash. I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to lay. I have 2 Black Australorps, 2 Red Sex Links, and the one Ameraucana. She was the only one who hadn't laid an egg and was on the bottom of the pecking order until I got 2 new chicks. I recently spotted her sitting behind one of the oleanders. After nudging her to move, I saw she was sitting on a couple dozen eggs! It was such a relief to see that she had been laying eggs for at least a couple weeks. What a triumph. However, all of the chickens have slowed down their egg production during the last month or so, with July being so hot. I'm down to getting 1-2 eggs per day instead of 4-5.
You might try a couple of food dishes far apart, that would give her the opportunity to get food from one dish while the highest ranking hens are at another. My lowest ranking female always appreciates food available away from the 'bullies'.
Could be a combination of the heat and bottom of the pecking order thing. The last round of chicks I got, the last one to lay took about six and a half months! Once I had a bird that had internal problems and laid one egg at around 6-7 months, and never laid again in her life (she only lived to be about 10 months old). This is probably not your problem, I'm just mentioning it anecdotally.
My black sex link hen is my best layer, my 2 Ameraucaunas are pretty dependable. Hopefully the little RIR starts soon, I got her the same day as the black sex link, they are the same age, same size, same diet....yet nothing. The sex link has been laying for over a month religiously. I'd definitely recommend this breed to anyone.
I am down from six eggs a day to one. I hope it's because of the heat. That might be your problem. But then again, two of mine didn't lay until the 22nd week.
Of my 4 chickens my RIR was the first to lay at almost exactly 5 months. I also have an EE laying and an EE not laying yet and a buff orpington that isn't laying. They just started laying on July 2nd.
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