26 week old flock and no eggs? Is something wrong?

[ChristinaBee]

I have a couple different breeds 4 polish, 1 welsummer, 1 barred rock, 1 speckled sussex, and 1 chocolate orpington. I don't think any of my chickens are laying yet. I've heard Polish aren't good layers, but I expected at least my barred rock or sussex to lay by now. The chickens all seem to be eating and drinking well and acting normal. They are kept in a coop/run and I usually let them out for a few hours every day. The last two days I keep them in to make sure they weren't laying else where, but nothing. I switched them over to 16% layer feed a couple week ago. Should I be concerned?

 

[Aapomp831]

chickens don't lay in cold weather. you will get eggs in the spring. my chickens are same age. got mine may 7th and no eggs. however they are about ready to lay.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the cold that inhibits laying in the winter months. It’s the shorter days. It also depends a lot upon the breed; my sex links lay eggs all winter long no matter how cold it it.

 

[sourland]

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the cold that inhibits laying in the winter months. It’s the shorter days. It also depends a lot upon the breed; my sex links lay eggs all winter long no matter how cold it it.

Fact. Your birds may very well not initiate laying until day light period reaches 12 to 14 hours. Nothing wrong with them or what you are doing - all is normal.

 

[ChristinaBee]

It finally happened!! My first egg! And it was from my barred rock

 

[rosemarythyme]

26 weeks+ for laying onset isn't that unusual in winter where yes, days are short and daylight is short and sometimes scarce. Generally seems like if they don't get started in fall, you can count on tacking on a few weeks to laying onset.

 

[Fluffs_flock]

Not really. Any other year, yes. But not 2020. This year there are really weird weather patterns or something that's causing a lot of younger chickens to not lay. I got chicks in May, and some of them are still not laying. Just be patient, they will start laying.

 

[frostic]

I do live in upstate NY so it is cold and the days are short. How are you able to tell that yours will lay soon?

1 Their comb will get bright red.(a friend told me this one recently)
2 They will do a submitting squat when you come over to them.
3 Their vent will start getting really big within a week or 2 of laying.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-chicken-squatting-at-point-of-lay.1043936/

 

[aart]

Do you recommend using a light?

I use lights, always have......with good and not so great success.
I've learned:
Not until Mid December after molt is done,
and no more than 14-15 hours a day.

 

[Mogul Moonshine]

they might not lay till spring

 

[ChristinaBee]

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the cold that inhibits laying in the winter months. It’s the shorter days. It also depends a lot upon the breed; my sex links lay eggs all winter long no matter how cold it it.

That makes sense, the days are very short. I’ve heard barred rocks were good layers so I was hoping that chicken would lay during the winter.