25 Wks No Eggs Yet

[Herdcutter]

I have 3 nice light brahmas and they are 25 weeks old. I have been waiting patiently for eggs to magically appear, but nothing. The days are getting shorter and we've had snow. (Which the girls don't like at all!!) Should I put a light bulb in the coop? Would a 40w be enough? I'm a nervous Mother Hen at this point.

I've been feeding layer since they were 18 weeks.
Thanks in advance

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

Have you noticed any submissive squating, checking out nest boxes, or loud/new vocalizing? Not all my girls did the squat, but they all started screaming like crazy ladies about 2 weeks before laying. New layers generally lay pretty well with shorter days, so at this point the light bulb might not be necessary.

 

[DanEP]

colder weather and shorter days will effect layers, but so will breed. Some chickens will start at 19-20 weeks some can take much longer. I have 2 bantam cochins right no that are close to forty weeks and nothing. I have a light for my coop that comes on in the morning to keep the girls laying at a slower pace but still laying. I have found that 12-12 1/2 hours a day still gives you some eggs but still lets them slow down a little for winter. If you are going to put a light in you coop I would advise you to get them up earlier and let them go to sleep with the sun. A light going out before their roosting for the night just seems to cause stress that can be avoided by just getting them up earlier

 

[Herdcutter]

Have you noticed any submissive squating, checking out nest boxes, or loud/new vocalizing? Not all my girls did the squat, but they all started screaming like crazy ladies about 2 weeks before laying. New layers generally lay pretty well with shorter days, so at this point the light bulb might not be necessary.

Yes I have seen the submissive squatting. They are sleeping and hanging out in their nest boxes. They vocalize when "happy" I think. Not like my friends hens, who announce the egg's arrival with fanfare.

I found a small opossum in the coop one night recently. My biggest girl was sitting on it. I figure the opportunist was in for the warmth. The girls didn't seem to mind...however, after the second visit, the varmint has been dispatched. We don't want any thing stealing eggs!

Thank you for that info...**pulling up my patient pants**

 

[Herdcutter]

colder weather and shorter days will effect layers, but so will breed. Some chickens will start at 19-20 weeks some can take much longer. I have 2 bantam cochins right no that are close to forty weeks and nothing. I have a light for my coop that comes on in the morning to keep the girls laying at a slower pace but still laying. I have found that 12-12 1/2 hours a day still gives you some eggs but still lets them slow down a little for winter. If you are going to put a light in you coop I would advise you to get them up earlier and let them go to sleep with the sun. A light going out before their roosting for the night just seems to cause stress that can be avoided by just getting them up earlier

I was thinking of putting a bulb on a timer to wake them up earlier. But I think I'll wait. They are learning quick what winter is going to be all about right now. We have been getting snow and freezing temps. They are choosing not to come out. Upstairs, they have a window and downstairs, they have a small area that is out of the elements. They are funny! The first real snow we go, they wouldn't even step in it.

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

Do they use their roost at night? You definitely want to stop them from sleeping in the nest boxes to avoid confusion of where to lay and poopy eggs. The opossum could have definitely scared them affecting production. make sure to close off the entrance point if you haven't already to avoid someone's chicken dinner as winter sets in.

 

[Herdcutter]

Do they use their roost at night? You definitely want to stop them from sleeping in the nest boxes to avoid confusion of where to lay and poopy eggs. The opossum could have definitely scared them affecting production. make sure to close off the entrance point if you haven't already to avoid someone's chicken dinner as winter sets in.

No roosting I believe. I think they are sleeping in the nest boxes (lots of poop in there) Every time I check on them, they are in the boxes. I have 2 roosting bars up for them. Any ideas? Bar them out at night so they have to roost? The door is closed at night now. We have been leaving it open until the weather changed.

I was thinking my chickens were too naive to think of the possum as danger. Especially since they were all in the nesting boxes and the one was sitting on it. I read some where on the internet that Brahmas don't alert/recognize predators. (Must be true if it's on the internet) Not to make too much light of the subject, but it was a small, young possum. And like I said, it now has been dispatched and the doors are closed.

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

Try blocking the boxes with a cardboard cover or something else easy to remove. You might have put them on the roost a couple nights, but they'll get the hang of it quickly. Just make sure the roost is higher than the boxes. If they lay outside the box during this time it's not a big deal. My first layers usually did so in the run or coop a couple times at first.

 

[Herdcutter]

Try blocking the boxes with a cardboard cover or something else easy to remove. You might have put them on the roost a couple nights, but they'll get the hang of it quickly. Just make sure the roost is higher than the boxes. If they lay outside the box during this time it's not a big deal. My first layers usually did so in the run or coop a couple times at first.

Great! Thanks!!