Can bad weather delay egg laying?

[kfrank12]

Hi there, this may just be me being impatient, but our 4 girls are just about 23 weeks old, and have not started laying. Our buff and barred rock seem like they are close. They've got nice red combs and waddles and our barred rock has become extremely vocal when we approach the coop/run now. But they still aren't laying! Our other 2 (blue lace and americauna) I think still have quite some time. They don't really have a comb or waddle and they are just slightly turning red.

We are in Texas and have been getting a ton of rain and thunderstorms for close to a month. Our temperatures have been fluctuating and as of last week, we went straight from summer into winter over night. Literally, we skipped right over fall!

Could this delay them starting to lay eggs? We have the run covered but it still gets pretty water logged. And the rain is daily now it seems. I have always heard that loosing daylight earlier could effect it as well, so I'm worried that could be playing a roll as well the rain and the sudden drop in temperatures.

Could all of the above make them delay laying at all until the Spring? We've had them since they were 5 weeks old, so I'm anxious to start getting eggs!

 

[Feathers Brady]

Could be any of the above.
Mostly light, up to 14 hours a day. I set a timer once we start loosing daylight.
Also I make sure there's plenty of water, high protein feed, oystershell and grit at all times. Occasional mealworm, blk sunflower, melon for treats.
The cold weather seems to slow egg laying. We skipped fall here in central Illinois too. Hitting low 30's and strong winds this past week.
Happy hens give healthy eggs!
I set up dust boxes inside our coop area for the winter months. Just straight up top soil. Add alot of dry herbs and they seem thrilled about it.
Any type of entertainment for them is a plus. I fill water bottles with scratch ( with holes) .
Hanging veggies from string etc...
Hope you get eggs soon! Lighting is crucial tho.
I forgot to ask if they are roosting ok?
Ours had to adjust to roosting before they started laying daily.

 

[imnukensc]

They're just not old enough yet. Be patient. I'd be willing to bet you'll have your first egg(s) within a few weeks. I've had pullets that didn't lay their first egg until Thanksgiving, but they laid all through the winter. Your weather really has nothing to do with it.

 

[kfrank12]

We don't have electricity in the coop, so there is not a light. We did hang some romain lettuce over the weekend and they loved it! AND, one of our girls started doing the infamous squat now when we approach her and/or try to pet her! So, hopefully we are almost there. The waiting game is hard!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally you should add a month on the expected start date this time of year. So barred rocks are 5-6 months, so expect it to take up to 7 months. That way when eggs come sooner you are excited.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Also keep them on a grower. Switching to a lower protein layer will slow down maturity.