Americanas laying eggs

[Terri D]

I have 3 Americana hens that have turned 8 months and they are not laying. I have seen people post their hens lay at 6 months. I have checked all the "things that can stop your hens from laying" and they meet all the requirements but still no eggs. Could it be they must be older to lay?

 

[Penny spender]

How much daylight are you getting in your area?

 

[Terri D]

They run free from morning till dawn. With cool weather I installed heat lamps. I have not had any issues with my other chickens until I raised these 3.

 

[Kiki]

What state are you in?
Heating an adult chicken is not usually necessary and might be doing more harm than good.

 

[Terri D]

Thank you for advise.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Terri, where are you? How cold is it getting? At 8 months old you'd have to be somewhere ridiculous for them to need a heat lamp.

Terri, where are you, north or south of the equator? I hate to make assumptions, I'm often wrong. If you are north and the days are getting shorter that could have a delaying effect. If your days are getting longer that could help. Or do you use supplemental lights to extend the day. A red heat lamp on all the time doesn't count. They need their down time so a bright light on all the time could hurt.

With all that said, they are going to lay when they lay. I've had EE's start laying at 18 weeks, I've had EE's lay their first eggs at nine months. That was early December with the days about as short as they are going to get yet still getting shorter. All the rules say that won't happen, yet it did. The rules are not ironclad.

No one can tell you when they will start. Real life doesn't work that way. Instead of a heat lamp to keep them warm you might put a light on a timer to add some length to the day, that might kick-start them by making them think the days are getting longer, but with my 9 month olds I did not do that.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

They run free from morning till dawn. With cool weather I installed heat lamps. I have not had any issues with my other chickens until I raised these 3.

Heat lamps are completely un needed. How "cool" is your weather?

Coming into fall/winter, with diminished daylight can delay onset of laying in many breeds. If they are TRUE Ameraucana, they are said to mature slowly and not lay too often either, Maybe 2-3 times per week.

One possibility is a hidden nest. But I have had a few girls who didn't lay until 8+ months old... I won't be buying that breed again.

Truth is, doesn't matter the breed.. all are individuals and NONE lay when INFO says they should... but rather when they are good and ready. Even the same breed fro the same place has started laying more than a month apart from each other.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Heat lamps! Consider this, your warm happy heated chickens are sleeping peacefully, then the power goes out and since they are not used to the cold they all die. Or this, the coop fire takes out the whole neighborhood and you barely make it out alive.....

I would re-think the heat.

IDK why your girls not laying, likely due to short days.

Gary

 

[Terri D]

Thank you all for the information. Makes sense, like I wrote, I have only been doing this for 4 years. You can read and read but I like asking questions to people that really know. You guys are great.

 

[lcwmt]

They run free from morning till dawn. -sninp-

Is it possible they have hidden nests???