Do I have to wait till spring?

[Kaugomu]

I have a small back yard flock of 3 girls, one RSL, one BR, and one EE. The RSL and BR will be 26 weeks on Monday and the EE is about 3 weeks older than that. Either the RSL or the BR (still haven't solved the mystery of the brown egg layer) has been laying for about 3 weeks with good large brown eggs. The other two still have NOTHING. With the shorter days and cooler temps (as much as we have them in south central texas) are we gonig to end up having to wait for spring for the other two to start laying, or might they still surprise us this winter with first eggs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

They might surprise you and they might not. Even in the spring and summer, some pullets wait longer than 26 weeks to start laying. The days getting shorter may stop them from starting, but I've had plenty start laying after the Summer Solstice when the days are getting shorter. I would not be surprised if yours do start laying a little while after the days start getting noticeably longer, but it is a very individual thing.

With only two pullets the averages don't mean much. If you had maybe 10 to 20 pullets, then "normal" starts to come into play, but they are so individual, yoou really can't count on anything. The individual pullet will start to lay when she decides to.

 

[Kaugomu]

Quote:
Thanks for the input! I'm hoping for a surprise personally :-D

 

[aoxa]

They might, and they might not.

Chickens lay when they are ready. Some are more apt to lay in cold weather. BR, RIR, Delwares, etc.. All lay in winter if provided enough light (and sometimes they will without it!).

 

[Stacykins]

You might not! I have a trio of 29 week old gals and the first egg came two days ago! Just got the second egg today. Both were very exciting!

 

[Kaugomu]

Apparently i just had to wait long enough to post the question - just went out to the coop to collect todays eggs, and sure enough there was a surprise - two eggs! I think that now both our RSL and BR are laying!

 

[LN2008]

I'm thinking my girls are around 23 weeks and I still don't have anything from any of them. What I keep telling myself is that they start in their own time. Someone else equated it to girls starting their periods (sorry to bring this up!). It's all an excercise in patience.

 

[Kaugomu]

Those are the two eggs I pulled out of our nest box this afternoon. I think I've decided that the darker egg (which is what we've been getting) is our RSL and the more cream colored is our BR who has, as of today, joined the laying club. Of course, if someone has more experiance with either of these and feels I've got it backwards, please corect me. Still waiting on the EE to give us some lovely blue eggs.

 

[chickens? not yet]

Great looking eggs!! I'm still waiting on mine!!

 

[Ole rooster]

I would think the RSL layed the tan egg. Mine does. I have a BSL that does lay a browner one. My GLW lays an egg about the color of the darker one you have there.

Also my EE is laying the largest eggs of any of the hens. And just as regular as can be.