One chicken started laying 4 weeks ago...the rest just look pretty!

[littleandlewis]

We got some chicks last May a week or two apart. ( A goldstar laying one egg a day is the oldest!) and the non-layers: 2 orps, 2 delawares, 1 speckled sussex ) Our weather changed to cooler and darker around the same time the gold star started laying.... no other chickens have produced although some of their combs and waddles are bright red.

The person at our feed store said the rest may not lay now until spring unless I put a light bulb in their coop to create 15 hours of light a day.... ( we have about 10 now). True?

Thanks

 

[Happy Chooks]

No. It may take them longer to begin laying, but they will still lay.

 

[ChickiKat]

Waiting for eggs is so hard. But they will start eventually.

 

[galanie]

I can't say from experience since the ones I have that lay started during the summer and fall, but I've heard that when they first start laying, day length doesn't play so big a role. My one that started laying in the fall laid all winter but then Orps are reputed to lay well during the winter anyway. The rest sure did. Patience though. They'll lay when they lay. I have one that is looking really pretty too and not laying so we're both just playing the waiting game.

 

[Breezy_Living]

My Barred Rock hen is the only one laying, the other two are Rhode Island Red. They all look the same developmentally so it seems like it's just an age factor when it comes to laying, though the Barred Rock doesn't seem to be too affected by the recent cold spell that is passing through.