I think a later POL depends on the time of year as cgmccary has said.
For example, chicks hatched late in summer develope over the winter.
During winter there can be more physical stresses (cold, or illnesses) and less nutrition (locked up istead of free ranging, insects & sunshine) and since there is less light, they will not begin laying until the days get longer, despite their age.
In late spring, they will begin laying as the light increases even though the pullets may be 7 months old or more.
Alternately, chicks hatched in late winter, and released in ealy spring to free range, have far more nutrition in grasses and insects and fresh air & sunshine and may lay at 5 months of age.
The spring chicks will develope faster, due to less weather stress and more free ranging & nutrition, lay sooner, but maybe not quite as heavy at that point in their lives, as the late summer pullet that at that same point is 7 months older and has more time to grow, but yet less free ranging & more enviromental stresses.
I think it is 6 of one and a half dozen of the other.
A pullet not yet at POL will put on more weight in that she is not putting nutrition & energy into egg making too...
This energy & nutrition could be put into herself.
This late summer hatching may be ideal for meat birds as a result, or for show birds where you would desire a more robust pullet (or cockeral)
On the other hand , one could argue that spring chicks get so much more nutrition and less enviromental stress...so I assume the debate could go either way?
For example, chicks hatched late in summer develope over the winter.
During winter there can be more physical stresses (cold, or illnesses) and less nutrition (locked up istead of free ranging, insects & sunshine) and since there is less light, they will not begin laying until the days get longer, despite their age.
In late spring, they will begin laying as the light increases even though the pullets may be 7 months old or more.
Alternately, chicks hatched in late winter, and released in ealy spring to free range, have far more nutrition in grasses and insects and fresh air & sunshine and may lay at 5 months of age.
The spring chicks will develope faster, due to less weather stress and more free ranging & nutrition, lay sooner, but maybe not quite as heavy at that point in their lives, as the late summer pullet that at that same point is 7 months older and has more time to grow, but yet less free ranging & more enviromental stresses.
I think it is 6 of one and a half dozen of the other.
A pullet not yet at POL will put on more weight in that she is not putting nutrition & energy into egg making too...
This energy & nutrition could be put into herself.
This late summer hatching may be ideal for meat birds as a result, or for show birds where you would desire a more robust pullet (or cockeral)
On the other hand , one could argue that spring chicks get so much more nutrition and less enviromental stress...so I assume the debate could go either way?
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