21 week old hens not laying

[StonyCreekFarm]

Hello all!!

I have 15, 21 week old hens and they haven't started laying yet. We are in northern WV, so it has been getting dark around 4:30-5 for a few weeks now. They free range when we are home to supervise them (I get home around 3:30p), as we have coyote and racoon problems. I'm currently finishing up a bag of grower/finisher feed and we don't have supplimental light/heat in the coop. Aside from waiting (impatiently) what should I do? I did witness one of our roosters mounting a hen today!

We have....
3 australorps
4 Easter eggers
4 salmon favorilles
4 wynadottes

 

[21hens-incharge]

They need layer feed to start with, good layer feed. Oyster shells or even egg shells.
You may be waiting til spring but they won’t lay with out layer feed, regardless.

I am sorry but this is simply incorrect.

They will lay when they reach sexual maturity and the daylight is long enough.

Layer feed is formulated to keep laying hens in good health. It is not what causes them to lay.

 

[coach723]

Some birds just take longer to mature and start laying. Between that and daylight hours, you just have to be patient, they will lay when they are ready.

 

[21hens-incharge]

LOL , I had my whole flock stop laying when a friend was babysitting and bought the wrong feed. LOL. TRY IT. LOL

Lots of things can throw hens off. Even just someone new tending them can freak them out enough to take a few days off.

When I had roosters I fed an all flock feed and got plenty eggs.
This article has a feed chart about 2/3rds the way down.
https://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production

Many many people here on BYC don't feed a layer ration and get eggs.

 

[Melky]

Keep on grower till first egg with poultry grit and oyster shell on the side. After Dec. 21 the winter solstice daylight hours will start increasing. We are at about 8 hours right now and will need to increase to 14 hours of daylight per day to stimulate egg production. My pullets are 28 weeks and in same boat. Waiting. After first eggs should switch to 16% layer feed with supplements on the side.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us.

This is a useful link of BYC guides to take a look at announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3 I’d suggest including your location using the guide in that link. You can use this link to contact members in your area - Find your State's thread.

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

They will lay when they are ready. It is hard waiting for that first egg. I feed flock raiser with oyster shell grit and chicken grit on the side. 1 hen(almost 4 years old) not laying, but she is molting. The other 4 (2 are almost 4 years old) are laying, getting 20-22 eggs a week.
It is your choice as to feed layer (after they start to lay) or flock. I decided on flock because when I get chicks I won't have to worry about them eating layer feed at the wrong time.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Hang in there! Winter solstice plus letting your gals mature a few more weeks will do wonders.

Only a few breeds lay super early. Most hit laying age at 26 to 32 weeks.

They'll get there in time.

 

[coach723]

If you put oyster shell out in a separate feeder, available all the time, they will take what they need when they need it. Like many others I use flock raiser rather than layer feed, have been doing so for years, the extra protein helps, and it also helps ensure that those birds that don't need the extra calcium (roo's, young birds, birds in molt, birds off laying for the season) will not get more calcium than they need. It is always a good idea to provide grit the same way, in a separate feeder, that way if for some reason they don't get it adequate from the environment, it's available to them.

 

[Melky]