@ragschickens My hens were hatched the very end of May, so expected them to start laying starting mid-late October onward. Sure enough one or two of them started right on time and the rest followed over the coming months. I think some waited till spring to start. Some I wonder if they've ever laid an egg in their life (they are now 2+ yrs)... spoiled birds I had 35+ birds in 5 breeds so hard to tell precisely who and when...
As Lomine said, it's not about temp, it's about light. Many folks who want eggs year round provide artificial light in the coop to maintain a minimum amount of "daylight hours" to keep the girls laying (I think the predominant prefer 14 hours of light). Others don't prescribe to this and provide no artificial light, feeling it gives the girls a rest (as nature intended) so next spring they can start right back up where they left off. Many/(most) commercial egg farms keep their chickens confined (even cage free are still confined inside a coop/bldg) and provide light for a constant period daily, year round.
Another issue is the molt. Since you have pullets (less than 1 year old), they may or may not molt this fall. A lot will be determined by if they start laying or not. If they start laying, chances are good that they won't molt (this year anyway), or will do a very minor molt and lay right through the winter. If they have a full molt, most birds stop laying once they shed their feathers as it takes a lot of energy/protein to grow the new feathers back out. Commercial egg farms (some) starve their birds during molt to speed up the loss of feathers and then boost feed to get them grown back out fast so they can get back to laying.
When you get your first egg, ALWAYS a thrill, you'll be completely amazed at the differences between yours and store bought. Color, consistency, flavor, texture... just so much better and since you raised the givers, you can trust what you're eating is the best it can be. Most store bought eggs are weeks if not months old. Which by the way is another oft asked question... As long as you do NOT wash the egg, it does NOT have to be refrigerated. They will keep just fine sitting on the counter for a month or more. The bird puts a coating on the egg on the way out called bloom. This seals the egg from intrusion of bacteria. Even if there's a little poop on the egg, just leave it. You can wash it off right before you use the egg. If you wash them, you really should refrigerate them. Most commercial eggs are required to be washed, therefore are refrigerated.
As Lomine said, it's not about temp, it's about light. Many folks who want eggs year round provide artificial light in the coop to maintain a minimum amount of "daylight hours" to keep the girls laying (I think the predominant prefer 14 hours of light). Others don't prescribe to this and provide no artificial light, feeling it gives the girls a rest (as nature intended) so next spring they can start right back up where they left off. Many/(most) commercial egg farms keep their chickens confined (even cage free are still confined inside a coop/bldg) and provide light for a constant period daily, year round.
Another issue is the molt. Since you have pullets (less than 1 year old), they may or may not molt this fall. A lot will be determined by if they start laying or not. If they start laying, chances are good that they won't molt (this year anyway), or will do a very minor molt and lay right through the winter. If they have a full molt, most birds stop laying once they shed their feathers as it takes a lot of energy/protein to grow the new feathers back out. Commercial egg farms (some) starve their birds during molt to speed up the loss of feathers and then boost feed to get them grown back out fast so they can get back to laying.
When you get your first egg, ALWAYS a thrill, you'll be completely amazed at the differences between yours and store bought. Color, consistency, flavor, texture... just so much better and since you raised the givers, you can trust what you're eating is the best it can be. Most store bought eggs are weeks if not months old. Which by the way is another oft asked question... As long as you do NOT wash the egg, it does NOT have to be refrigerated. They will keep just fine sitting on the counter for a month or more. The bird puts a coating on the egg on the way out called bloom. This seals the egg from intrusion of bacteria. Even if there's a little poop on the egg, just leave it. You can wash it off right before you use the egg. If you wash them, you really should refrigerate them. Most commercial eggs are required to be washed, therefore are refrigerated.
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