Still waiting for EGGS!!!

[dizzle's chicks]

Does anyone know when different breeds of chickens start laying? Currently I have 5 chickens born on June 8th and 3 chickens born on September 7th. They have been fluffing up the nesting box for a while but still no eggs. I currently have just shavings in there and thinking about adding straw as well. Anything I should try or what to look for to know when they start laying? They Free range all day but they do go in and out of the run.

The five big girls are,

Brown Leghorn
Buff Orpington
Rhode Island Red
Barred Rock
Golden Laced Wyanndotte

The Three little Girls are,

Delaware White
Blue Wyanndotte
Black Sex Link

Thanks!

 

[CarolJ]

I would think that the leghorn and RIR would be laying by now. I use pine shavings in my nest boxes. Put fake eggs or golf balls in the nest to show them what they're for. Good luck!

 

[Jferlisi]

I put golf balls in my boxes, so they get the hint that they need to lay there. Your Leghorn and RiR should have already started laying. Have you checked around to see if they are laying else were? Your order of laying should be Leghorn, RiR, Barred rock, GLW, then your BO.

 

[justbugged]

Where are you located? If you are in the northern part of the country, you don't have enough hours of daylight for the birds to lay. So it is most likely that the pullets will not start laying until spring. The pullets were hatched fairly late in the year, and are still rather young. You can also add hours of light, by adding light in the coop. I have a light on for about 5 extra hours right now. I am in Washington State and I don't get enough hours of daylight to be able to have the hens lay year around. They need about 14 hours of daylight per day in order to lay.

 

[goldies99]

i was just going to mention that the chickens need about 14 hours of light....but justbugged just mentioned it.....are the combs really red??...that is a sign if they are laying as well...
i also am thinking you might have to wait till next spring...but you never know...you may get lucky!!!

 

[Mikee1948]

I have a RIR hatched first week of July and she's not laying either. I have 3 others, a cross breed of RIR and White Rock, hatched about the same time and they are laying. Most nights I forget to put the coop light on for them, here in eastern PA.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Keep them in the coop/run for a week. You'll be better able to determine whether they are really laying or not. Those hatched in early June might well be laying, might be out in the bushes somewhere. In my experience, young pullets need a period of training or learning to use the nest box. I wouldn't turn them loose until after 1 or 2 pm.

First year pullets will normally begin laying even in late fall or during the winter, regardless of lighting conditions. Supplementing with a few hours of pre-dawn light is indeed helpful.

But, chickens do NOT need 14 hours of light in order to lay. Chickens closer to the equator, Hawaii for example, never get 14 hours of light, yet they lay!!

All my June hatcheted ISA and BR pullets are laying up a storm on just 12 hours of total supplemental/natural light.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My white leghorn started laying a few days shy of her 19th week - so you should be getting eggs from yours by now. If her comb is flopped and red - she's probably laying somewhere. I second the lock them in for awhile to see if they are laying and where. I must add that my WL pullet isn't laying consistently even with 14 hours of light. I guess their bodies do what their bodies do. My DH will remind me she's not a pet shortly if she doesn't start keeping up her end of the bargain

Snow White came through! Here is her egg from today sitting next to the ping pong ball I put in the nest box.

 

[ridgewood chickens]

I have 7 Rhode Island Reds that are slightly younger than your oldest (by about 2 weeks), and they are laying sporadically, 1-2 eggs/day total per day at this point and have been for about 2 weeks. I don't expect much egg production because they don't have supplemental light, but they are showing interest in laying and spend a great deal of time "rearranging" the nest boxes each day, which are filled with pine shavings. Good luck!!

 

[dizzle's chicks]

I live in Seattle WA. I have been checking at least 3 times a day. I think that's a good idea about locking them in for a while to see if they are laying.