egg laying time

[CochinBrahmaLover]

We just got 3 new chickens, a welsummer hen, a non white leghorn hen and a magnificent old english game rooster. I was wondering how long it would be until they start laying?

 

[tmoore8595]

How old are the hens?
The roo will never provide you with any eggs, sorry.

 

[Kevin565]

Where are you located? You may not get eggs until spring depending on your location

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

I know the roo wont provide me eggs I just automatically put it because we just got him and i love him! We don't know the age of any of them but the welsummer looks older than the leghorn, might be because their different breeds though. Well its like -20 outside and will stay that way for a while but the chickens our inside by the arctic entry, its colder in their by some but I don't know if they can really even tell. We expected to get bantams but they guy who caught them had no idea about chickens, he thought they were bantams so we didnt plan for standard, he had only 2 bantams. So right now their living in cramped corners until their coop is built. I leave the door open thougt because the rooster is an old english game and he has loooooong spurs so I'm afraid hes gonna stab a hen.
also i havent seen any of them eat food and they wont eat bread. The hens have drunken like a gallon of water but the rooster is hanging back. I don't know if hes letting the hens drink first or if hes sick?

 

[tmoore8595]

Normally hens start laying when they are 5 or 6 months old, but unless they are provided with about 14 hours of light they may not lay until the days get longer. My older hens had stopped laying so I placed a 40 watt bulb (on a timer) in their coop. The light comes on at 3:30 AM and goes off at 6:00 AM. After about 2 1/2 weeks they started laying again.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Ohh ok, is it ok if its a very weak light, not dark but still not the brightest, work?

 

[tmoore8595]

I do not know how bright or how dim it needs to be. I have only used a 40 watt bulb and that works for me.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

eh i dont care i'll wait till spring.