Welsummer Laying in Florida

[mts526]

I have a 27-week-old Welsummer who hasn't started laying. I've heard that chickens who would otherwise start laying in the winter can delay laying any eggs until days are longer. But, I'm in North Florida, so I assumed that didn't apply here? My other pullet her age, a White Plymouth Rock, started laying at 19 weeks. For what it's worth, the Welsummer's comb/wattle is nowhere near as large/red as the white rock's.

Should I expect my Welsummer to lay any day now, or might she wait until spring?

Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

I've heard that chickens who would otherwise start laying in the winter can delay laying any eggs until days are longer. But, I'm in North Florida, so I assumed that didn't apply here?

Or course it applies to you. You still have the shorter daylight hours. Just not as short as the northerners.
Wellies are not stellar layers regardless.

 

[BrennaM]

I'm in the same boat, I have 3 leghorns who all started laying at 20 weeks in October and late September. The rest of my birds range from 21 to 31 weeks and haven't started laying. The hip points have started widening on a few so I'm hopeful some will start laying by December. The rest I think will wait until spring unfortunately. I'm in north central florida.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have a 27-week-old Welsummer who hasn't started laying. I've heard that chickens who would otherwise start laying in the winter can delay laying any eggs until days are longer. But, I'm in North Florida, so I assumed that didn't apply here? My other pullet her age, a White Plymouth Rock, started laying at 19 weeks. For what it's worth, the Welsummer's comb/wattle is nowhere near as large/red as the white rock's.

Should I expect my Welsummer to lay any day now, or might she wait until spring?

Thanks!

Hellow fellow N FL - we are less affected by the shorter days than our friends in the New England states (our days, on average remain longer) but not completely unaffected.
Chickens will "lay when they lay". There are breed tendencies, but those tendencies are marked by wide individual variation. Plymouth Rock are regarded as moderately early layers - one of the things that make them popular - less time feeding them before they become productive, though 17 weeks is well ahead of when most of the breed would be assumed to start laying (on average), which is more like 20-24 weeks. Welsummers, by reputation, are in a similar-ish range. But that doesn't mean that an individual coming into maturity as light levels fall won't delay until early spring.

 

[5 Points Wingfeather]

I am in the same boat. Mississippi and I have two Wyandottes that are 26 weeks old who haven’t started yet either. I’m very interested to see if they make it all the way through winter without laying or if them coming into lay during shorter days just means they are delayed

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Knowing that Wyan were traditionally slow(er) starters, I bought mine in Sept so they could start laying first thing early spring.

 

[5 Points Wingfeather]

Knowing that Wyan were traditionally slow(er) starters, I bought mine in Sept so they could start laying first thing early spring.

I had a broody hatch these outs. Didn’t really want a batch in May but let her anyway and gave all but the best two away.