7 month old Sussex and Rhode Island not laying....

[buttersbrood]

Hi everyone,
We have four 7 month old chickens (and lots of older ones too).
The Silkie and Barnevelder have been laying for 4 & 7 weeks respectively.
Our Speckled Sussex and Rhode Island Red however, show no signs of laying. They look fully mature and have red combs (not very big, but not tiny either). Neither squats when approached (the other 2 do).
Is it normal for these breeds to start laying so late? Will they ever give us eggs?
Thanks for helping out!

 

[buttersbrood]

Hi everyone,
We have four 7 month old chickens (and lots of older ones too).
The Silkie and Barnevelder have been laying for 4 & 7 weeks respectively.
Our Speckled Sussex and Rhode Island Red however, show no signs of laying. They look fully mature and have red combs (not very big, but not tiny either). Neither squats when approached (the other 2 do).
Is it normal for these breeds to start laying so late? Will they ever give us eggs?
Thanks for helping out!

Ps we're in New Zealand, and as it's autumn, the days are getting shorter. Could that be part of the problem?

 

[chicken 5978]

The first and most common cause of decreased egg production is light hours. Hens need a minimum of 16 hours of daylight to sustain strong production. Without supplemental light, they may naturally stop laying eggs due to a hormonal response as the days get shorter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ps we're in New Zealand, and as it's autumn, the days are getting shorter. Could that be part of the problem?

Yes, that could be a contributing factor that could delay onset of laying.

 

[mydaisy]

Hi everyone,
We have four 7 month old chickens (and lots of older ones too).
The Silkie and Barnevelder have been laying for 4 & 7 weeks respectively.
Our Speckled Sussex and Rhode Island Red however, show no signs of laying. They look fully mature and have red combs (not very big, but not tiny either). Neither squats when approached (the other 2 do).
Is it normal for these breeds to start laying so late? Will they ever give us eggs?
Thanks for helping out!

Hi there! I have 2 Barnevelder pullets, 17 weeks old. When exactly did yours start laying?