29 weeks and still no eggs!

[Pommie Chick]

I know it's just a matter of time and I need to be patient but really!!! My 2 older girls (both Orpingtons) are now 29 weeks and still nothing. I'm so impatient now. One of them is getting redder and she is so noisy clucking, so hopefully this means something is on the way. Our days are shortening so it feels everything is against an egg coming any time soon. I'm checking the egg box each day, although from their pics I don't think they're quite ready yet. Somebody please tell me it will happen!

 

[Kelsie2290]

What very pretty girls, love the color. They will lay, really they will, they promise! They do look like they will need a little longer from their combs. Hope they decide to pretty soon, even if you are losing daylight, are you going to put them under lights? If all else fails go to the grocery store and buy a couple dozen eggs, for some reason that seems to work on other peoples hens.

 

[fatcatx]

Hate to say it, but my Black Orpington did not lay until 35 weeks

. Her comb was much more red than in your pic so you may have a bit of a wait still. How many hours of daylight do you get in winter?

 

[Pommie Chick]

Just checked the stats for this year and our lowest amount of hours for the year will be in June and will be 9hrs 48 mins. I was wondering if putting some light down for a couple of hours would help? If so would mornings or evenings be better?

Our average lowest daily temp in winter would be 8 degrees ish, so compared to other countries we don't really get that cold (although it feels it after 40 degree summers!)

Thanks Kelsie, they are pretty aren't they, but I suppose I'm biased lol!

I did read somewhere that Orpingtons can be as late as 8 months to lay!!!

Cheers

 

[Kelsie2290]

Most chickens need about 14 hours of light a day to lay, they usually recommend adding light in the morning so not to cause a problem at night with roosting if it is suddenly dark, a gradual reduction at night works fine. Temperature, unless it is really extreme, usually doesn't have much to do with it. Two good articles on light management. You don't want to add light to really young pullets though, so you might have to wait until your younger ones are older.
Ya, orps are one of those breeds that can be on the slow side to start.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/tristate_organic/poultry_2007/Light Management.pdf
http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/NE-127/NewFiles/light.html

 

[Pommie Chick]

Thanks. Will have a read of these. My youngest is 17 weeks, so will that be ok for light?

Guess I'm going to have to bide my time with these girls. Patience is not one of my virtues!

Thanks

 

[PugetCountry]

My Buff O was the first to lay at 34 weeks. That was in January. She was the only for several weeks...within the last 3 weeks I'm up to 12 laying hens. We went from no eggs to having extras for friends! So my hens started from 34-42 weeks approx.

It will happen when you least expect it. I had given up

 

[Pommie Chick]

Thanks, That gives me something to look forward to!

 

[fatcatx]

Just checked the stats for this year and our lowest amount of hours for the year will be in June and will be 9hrs 48 mins. I was wondering if putting some light down for a couple of hours would help? If so would mornings or evenings be better?

Our average lowest daily temp in winter would be 8 degrees ish, so compared to other countries we don't really get that cold (although it feels it after 40 degree summers!)

You sound similar to us in Central CA daylight-wise. Our Dec/Jan is between 9 and ten hours. Additional lighting is a personal preference. Personally, I don't agree with it. Orps (and other dual purpose heritage) were bred to lay OK in winter to give a little down time, and better the rest of the year. The two I had this winter that had reached point of lay laid just fine during the 9.5 hour days. I beleive the 14 hour rule applies more to production breeds like leghorns. Chickens , like people, are born with all the eggs they will ever lay already in place. So the only thing extra lighting will do is give you the eggs she may have laid in her third and fourth year a little earlier. If you plan on keeping her during her poor egg years, ramping up production really doesn't make sense. If you plan on stewing her, maybe it does. The extra light will not make her lay sooner. It is a sexual maturity issue.

Those I know that do give light do so in the morning. If you do it at night, birds can't find the roost in the dark when the lights suddenly flick off. Some install a slow dimmer to avoid this problem (but a.m. lighting seems the easier way!)

 

[Pommie Chick]

Thanks Fatcatz

I won't be stewing her, or the others, love them far too much for that. I think I will just leave them for nature to take it's course. (also too complicated to get light down at their coop we've decided)

This is my first time keeping Orpingtons. I kept other breeds back when I lived in the UK. I chose to have this breed as I originally come from Orpington, so it felt nice and homely to me.

It's good to here that it's normal for this breed to be a later to mature and that it's not anything I'm doing wrong.

Glad I found this forum!

Cheers everyone!