19 and a half weeks old and still no eggs :( egg countdown anyone??

[UrbanMamaHen]

I picked my Welsummer because I thought they would be dark brown with speckles.  

 

So did I. But my two are 23 week old and no eggs yet.

 

[Chica Lady]

My wheaten maran is now 35 weeks!!!

This is her from last week:



Hopefully she'll start soon!!! My Salmon Faverolle, Sammy, is now 17 weeks, so before too long I'll we waiting on her too!

Well, you got me beat....lol. Mine are coming up on 31 weeks. How long is this going to take?

. I found something yesterday in the coop that I think might be a sign. It looked like an egg membrane. there was nothing else except that it was mixed in with the poop. No other signs... no squatting, reddening, nesting, etc.

 

[StarLover21]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has reached the thirties

What breed are yours? Mine isn't squatting or nesting either...although she is getting a bit red, so I'm hopeful.

Got any picture of yours?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I don't use ACV to increase egg production (because my chickens haven't started laying yet) but only to keep their water from growing algae in the plastic containers I have it in. ACV also helps to regulate their bowels. You can also ferment their food in ACV and it also helps to regulate their bowels as well. (They love fermented food!) I even sprout food in it as well. Maybe I just have spoiled chickens. I think if anything it has encouraged them to not eat as much as they would if their bowels weren't regular. Not saying that they are unhealthy but that they don't have to eat as much to get full because of the fermentation of the grains and food I give them.

I have been reeding about fermenting their food to help them with digestion. I haven't tried it yet, but am getting things set up so I can. Here is a question: would chickens also benefit from fermented cabbage? I'm thinking the homemade kind, without spicy stuff added.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I turn lights on(by timer) at 6:15am now ( sunrise is at 7:15 and will be 8:15 in the dead of winter) just because I like to see what I'm doing while doing chores(feeding scooping poop etc before work), I stopped the evening lighting because it was agitating and causing escalated fights on the roosts. It is so much easier to let them just go to bed as the sun sets naturally ...

This was the advice the guy from Purina gave at the chicken basics class ... Have the artificial light on only in the morning. He also recommended using a string of outdoor LED holiday lights as the source. On a timer.

I am not sure we are going to do this ... We work from "home" so can adjust our chicken chores to whatever hours the girls are keeping. Also, as this is their first year they are supposedly going to lay pretty strong through winter anyway. We also have a bunch of September chicks who will likely start producing eggs in January or February. But maybe next year ... ? I don't much like the idea of pushing them too hard ...

 

[milo1108]

I have been reeding about fermenting their food to help them with digestion. I haven't tried it yet, but am getting things set up so I can. Here is a question: would chickens also benefit from fermented cabbage? I'm thinking the homemade kind, without spicy stuff added.

I duno, I would try it anyway to see if they like it. I just ferment their grain and layer feed.

 

[milo1108]

This was the advice the guy from Purina gave at the chicken basics class ... Have the artificial light on only in the morning. He also recommended using a string of outdoor LED holiday lights as the source. On a timer.
I am not sure we are going to do this ... We work from "home" so can adjust our chicken chores to whatever hours the girls are keeping. Also, as this is their first year they are supposedly going to lay pretty strong through winter anyway. We also have a bunch of September chicks who will likely start producing eggs in January or February. But maybe next year ... ? I don't much like the idea of pushing them too hard ...

I'm not going to have lights on. It will be my chickens first winter and I don't want to push them too hard since they will start laying at any time soon I hope.

You really don't have to have lights if you don't want to, its really a preference choice.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

So did I. But my two are 23 week old and no eggs yet.

Mine was 26 weeks on the dot and I have four more that will probably take another couple weeks to start.

 

[Chica Lady]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has reached the thirties

What breed are yours? Mine isn't squatting or nesting either...although she is getting a bit red, so I'm hopeful.

Got any picture of yours?

I got lots of pics, not sure of breed. I cant seem to get a straight answer from anyone. I know its hard to tell just from pics, but here goes.... I call them Raptors, oh, and of course, the duck.....

 

[Rhoise]

This was the advice the guy from Purina gave at the chicken basics class ... Have the artificial light on only in the morning. He also recommended using a string of outdoor LED holiday lights as the source. On a timer.
I am not sure we are going to do this ... We work from "home" so can adjust our chicken chores to whatever hours the girls are keeping. Also, as this is their first year they are supposedly going to lay pretty strong through winter anyway. We also have a bunch of September chicks who will likely start producing eggs in January or February. But maybe next year ... ? I don't much like the idea of pushing them too hard ...

If I didn't have to leave before sunup I think I would definitely go natural! So much easier!! I may break down and get a pop door soon too, just gonna try lights for now so i can get chores done(deep winter my girls will only have lights for about 11 hours I think 6:00am lights on to 5:08 natural sunset in Dec...I'm weaning them now for daylight savings to 7am) I like to see all the animals in the am too, good way to check for problems etc etc...clean coop....gotta check on the girls Here is my coop before work just after liights come on.....(street lights in baackround)....