Free Range Hens reaching egg laying age

[SourRoses]

I've had four pullets start laying this October (one might've been the last few days of September) and the final one from that age group laid her first egg on November 1st, when we were already down to less than nine hours of daylight.

How's the light pollution where you are?
Small things can add up. Proximity to a house, or street lights, etc. Pullets are more sensitive than hens.

Although it's termed pollution (due to the effect on wild birds, bees and other insects), if it works for your benefit re: eggs then it's a nice feature.
For a visual... Pretend the moon was near or all the way full, every night for at least a couple hours. Not all night. That's the light level that can trigger laying.
I suspect that it may be a lot of folks who don't realize how bright our evenings can really be, as we step out of our bright interior lit houses.
I know my mother is always asking me, "don't you need a flashlight?!" in the evening when I've been outside working since before sunset, but I say "No I can see everything and don't want to mess that up narrowed to just the one little area the flashlight will shine at a time" (ok, I don't use that many words ).

My point is, there are a lot of variables that can affect your outcome. But the science itself stays the same.
@Ridgerunner
Either way people definitely have hope for eggs. Only a matter of time.
But what happens when people expect eggs in a specified number of months since hatch, look for them day after day, and they never show up? It's a bad hen, right? What a poor producer! Maybe she should go on the cull list.
But she's being controlled by factors affecting this whole spinning ball in space, and many other creatures on it.
So if you want eggs sooner, add some light. My solar string on a timer cost $25 on amzn.

 

[kattabelly]

How's the light pollution where you are?
Small things can add up. Proximity to a house, or street lights, etc. Pullets are more sensitive than hens.

Very little. They're in a field in a rural area on a fairly small and sparsely populated island.

 

[GooseMoyo]

Update and follow up question...
They are 20 weeks and 3 days old, they've locked in the run for 5 days/4 nights and no eggs.

I'm about out of my current bag of chick feed. At this age is it safe to go ahead and begin transitioning them to layer feed even they aren't actually laying?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Update and follow up question...
They are 20 weeks and 3 days old, they've locked in the run for 5 days/4 nights and no eggs.

I'm about out of my current bag of chick feed. At this age is it safe to go ahead and begin transitioning them to layer feed even they aren't actually laying?

Best guess then is they're not laying yet. 20 weeks is still quite early especially heading into winter. Did you do a vent check?

If your preference is layer feed you can switch if you want, though realistically some of these birds may not start laying until after solstice, so that's still a few weeks away.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Update and follow up question...
They are 20 weeks and 3 days old, they've locked in the run for 5 days/4 nights and no eggs.

I'm about out of my current bag of chick feed. At this age is it safe to go ahead and begin transitioning them to layer feed even they aren't actually laying?

There’s no reason to switch to layer feed, which is generally a bit low in protein.

Instead, you can keep them on the chicken feed or switch them to all-flock, but you MUST provide oyster shell (flaked or chunk) on the side, with or without crunched up egg shells once they do start laying. Don’t mix it into their feed. Let them decide when they need it.

At 20 weeks, your girls are probably nowhere near ready to lay, especially now if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Are their combs and wattles growing, visibly increasing in size every week?
• Are the combs etc moving from light pink to dark pink to flaming red? (Including when they’re not excited.)
• Are they messing around in nest boxes, or pretending to build a nest?
• Are they squatting for you when you try to/ pretend to pick them up?

These ^^^ are behaviors that you’ll often see when laying is imminent.

If you’re going to switch to layer feed (although chick or all-flock is generally more nutritious), you can do so before you get eggs, once you’re pretty close. But probably better to keep them on an all-around balanced feed for both sexes/ all ages, and just provide the extra Ca on the side. They’ll eat it if they need it.