Grrrr, no eggs as of yet, my hens are 19 weeks old...

[Ridgerunner]

Out of 23 hens of the breeds in my signature,

1 Buff Orp 18 weeks
1 Buff Orp and 1 Delaware 20 weeks
1 Buff Orp and 1 Delaware 23 weeks

At 24 weeks, the pace picked up.

They will lay when they lay. It varies by individual hen. I did not find all the Buff Orps to be late starters but mine are different individuals that others. The time of year, their health, and all that enters into it, but I also had some Buff Orps that were raised with the others from the same hatchery that did not lay until much later. My Sussex and Australorp started laying later than my others. Other people have reported the opposite results.

Commercial operations don't normally want to force the pullets to lay too soon. They want the hens to properly develop before they start laying so the eggs are better quality and the pullets don't injure themselves trying to lay too early. My Buff Orp that started laying first continued to lay unusual eggs and had some physical problems. I don't know if the physical problems were related to early laying or not, but real early laying is not a huge bonus in my opinion.

 

[rachelbinnc]

I have 9 chickens of 8 different breeds. 3 of them all started laying on the same day last weekend, one an Easter Egger, one a Rhode Island Red, and the last unknown. They are 25 weeks old. Looking back on the pictures of them from 19 weeks, I thought they were ready from their red combs and size. Looking at them now, though, I can really see that they weren't mature at 19 weeks. Their combs are much bigger and brighter now -- I mean really, truly red. And they are plumper too. Don't rush them. My first three girls were so ready that they instantly started laying perfrectly formed eggs, all three of them already dropping an egg each almost every day in their first week. No problems with slow start-up or soft shells (fingers crossed).

And remember, the other 6 I have are now 26 weeks with no action. I'm thinking more Spring weather might kick the other girls' cycles into gear.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

38 weeks for my last two. Chickens that start laying too early (per their breed) tend to have more problems than pullets that start late.

 

[kwynn's birds Alaska]

i have black australorps that were born on july third, and they didn't start laying until almost Christmas. I was getting antsy too, i guess some of the bigger birds take a little longer to lay.

 

[gvntofly05]

Yep, 19 weeks is early. I have a bunch of EE's that I am waiting on to start laying. They are almost 24 weeks old. A few of them are looking ready but the majority are still a long way off!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Oh gosh, I hope I don't have to wait that long for my Ameraucana's to lay! I know they are slow to mature, but GEEZ that's almost a whole year!

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Both of my barred rocks started at 25-26 and my chantecler was 30 weeks! Slackers... no just kidding. BUT now that they're laying I can pretty much guaruntee 1 egg per girl per day even from my bantam.