Fall Chicks

[RubySue]

Hello!
Is there a chance my fall chicks will lay this winter? They are 18 weeks today. I started offering oyster shell the beginning of this week not thinking they would touch it much, especially after reading threads that many times they won’t touch it. But for me it’s been the exact opposite they have been eating it like crazy. I’d say my four hens have eaten just about a cups worth in 6 days.

I am not offering any unnatural light and I’d guess to say that the barred rock would lay first. The other thing is they just lost their two brothers from their little flock and all of them have always gotten along well and wondered if that may cause any stress with two missing birds from their flock.

I also opened up their nesting boxes today and put some fake eggs so they can start checking out the new addition to the coop they haven’t had access to. Anything else I should do and does that all seem appropriate at this age? And lastly should I not get too excited bc statistically they won’t lay til March April bc it’s winter? I’m not to keen about adding light but I also would like some eggs sooner than later.

Thanks!

 

[gimmie birdies]

just so you know most chicken don't start laying at 20 weeks. Maybe leghorns. but depending on the birds from my experience it is 6 months or longer.
Orpingtons-6-7 months
welsummers 6-7 months
leghorns 20 weeks
one clue is the bigger/heavier the bird the longer it takes to lay.
Just enjoy your birds feed them well wait for the sun to shine, and be happy when they lay.
The good news is your birds are young, so you have many months/years of eggs ahead of you.
(My brown leghorn laid her first egg today 23 weeks.)

 

[aart]

But for me it’s been the exact opposite they have been eating it like crazy. I’d say my four hens have eaten just about a cups worth in 6 days.

I would remove the OS for now.
It's new to them and sounds like they have gorged on it.

 

[NatJ]

Is there a chance my fall chicks will lay this winter? They are 18 weeks today.

The days are getting longer now, so they may lay a bit sooner than if they were this age in the fall.

I also opened up their nesting boxes today and put some fake eggs so they can start checking out the new addition to the coop they haven’t had access to. Anything else I should do and does that all seem appropriate at this age?

That sounds good to me!

And lastly should I not get too excited bc statistically they won’t lay til March April bc it’s winter? I’m not to keen about adding light but I also would like some eggs sooner than later.

Since it's already mid-January, March and April really aren't that far away.

Different chickens can start laying at wildly different ages. I once had a batch of chicks that were hatched in late June, and the earliest layer started in late November (she was 24 weeks) while the slowest waited until late March (4 months later than the earliest one.)

 

[Acre4Me]

I have mid-August chicks (20weeks), and mid-Oct chicks (12 weeks), along with my flock of layers that range in age from nearly 5 years to 10 months old. We have mostly heritage breeds with a few high production girls. Primarily the high production pullets have been laying this winter, with a few others giving a few eggs. We do have light on a timer in the coop too.

We are beginning to see some new eggs laid, which are from some of the hens that took a break from laying. We do not think our 20 week old chicks are laying quite yet. I’ll have to go out and study their comb/wattle development to see if any look like they are plump and red. I do recall that another family member noted that one of the 20 week old pullets was in the nest box recently - but they do that ahead of laying as well.

Overall, I’ll guess within 2 weeks we may start to see a few of the 20 week olds begin to lay.

 

[NatJ]

I started offering oyster shell the beginning of this week not thinking they would touch it much, especially after reading threads that many times they won’t touch it. But for me it’s been the exact opposite they have been eating it like crazy. I’d say my four hens have eaten just about a cups worth in 6 days.

Did they actually eat it, or did they throw most of it on the floor as they picked through for the "best" bits? If they actually did eat that much, it does sound a bit much. So you might want to take it away for a day or so and then offer it again for a limited time, so they can get used to having it but without overdoing it.

Do they have grit? I've read of chickens that over-ate oyster shell when they had no source of grit. So if yours do not have grit, you might try offering some.

Chickens are generally quite good at self-regulating oyster shell consumption, but every now and then they do odd things, so I can't be entirely sure whether your chickens really needed lots of calcium, or were mixed up somehow.

 

[Tinypahomestead]

I have 10 Blue Plymouth Rocks (a sex-link) that were hatched 7/25/22. They started laying a couple days before 20 weeks in mid December. I do not supplement their light. I started getting 3-4 eggs a day fairly quickly and it jumped to 8 eggs a day within 2 weeks. Many eggs have been jumbo sized and several double yolks. On 1/15, all 10 laid. They have been a great breed, consistent layers and have treated our super cold temps like Champs.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Mine from last april didnt even start! So good luck lol

 

[aart]

Do they have grit? I've read of chickens that over-ate oyster shell when they had no source of grit. So if yours do not have grit, you might try offering some.

Yes.
But be careful with offering a dish of granite digestive grit, they can gorge on that too.
Had a hen I slaughtered whose gizzard was crammed full of grit.
That's when I stopped the dish of grit, instead I sprinkle it on the ground in the run.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I had fall chicks in 2020 hatched 8/27 & they started laying at 23 weeks the first week of February. Rarely do I have spring chicks that don't lay by 18-22 weeks, so these were a bit later.