Comming into laying age in winter

[audrey02026]

So I have a question, This is my first winter with chickens and I have 4 that are already laying although they have just about stopped I only get about 1 a day out of 4 hens...however some of them are moulting. But I also have 8 that are just comming to laying age from 5 to 7 months old. My question is will they lay when they are ready or will they wait until spring now that they didn't become old enough until the shorter days of winter?

 

[jawilson]

Our chickens came of age in the late fall/early winter. We're just west of Boston and the weather was pretty mild before Christmas, but since it's been very cold.

We were NOT expecting eggs until the spring and were pleasantly surprised when we got our first egg Christmas day! My theory is that the days were getting longer and the weather warmed up just before Christmas here in NE so they started laying. They moulted throughout the fall and finished moulting around the same time they started laying. We have 3 of our 4 hens laying and we get 2-3 eggs every single day. I think we can expect more in the spring.

 

[RBOutdoors]

I am in the same boat. We have 5 young ladies that have yet to lay an egg. All where born July 20thish. I am really hoping for some kind of encouragement from them. We have a couple roosters and they seem to be active (wink wink), but no eggs. We are 95% free range but I have penned them up for a full day now and then to be sure they weren't laying them off in the brush.

 

[newchknmama]

I have 7 chickens, three were laying in summer and one of those is molting now.. two of the others started laying about a month ago, right before Christmas, one just started laying last week and one is on the verge of laying as she started squatting this week. I usually get 3 or 4 eggs from the 7 chickens now a day I think that is pretty good. The shorter days haven't seemed to effected them at all and we are in Idaho.

 

[audrey02026]

I think the moulting is to blame for my loss of eggs from the 4 that were previously laying as mine too were laying quite well... three eggs a day from 4 hens until a few weeks ago then I started finding tons on feathers in the nest box and coop instead of eggs however I still have one egg a day from someone. Just have nothing from any of the others I have 1 EE, 1 Silkie, 1 LT brahma and 1 Barred rock/silkie cross that are about 7 months old. I thought I had an egg or too from the silkie/cross as I did find two tiny eggs in the coop on two consecutive days but nothing since and that was three days ago. No colored eggs no EE not yet and I don't think the Lt Brahma looks ready yet. I also have a second coop with 2 EE's and 1 Bantam Cochin Frizzle and I Mille fluer Duncle that are just 5 months in Jan. Nothing from them yet...Maybe the breeds I have just take more time??