Help!!!!! I don't understand!?!!???

[kari_dawn]

Your older pullets should start just about anytime.
Laying is more determined by the length of the day, rather than the temperature. So, usually new pullets can start laying in the winter, but not always. Now as the days are lengthening, it should trigger them to start laying. It is usually recommended about 14 hours of light to stimulate laying.
I've waited till 33 and 35 weeks in years past.

Imp

ETA- Should also mention that laying and maturity can also depend some on breed.

Sorry, but your pullet has a little more to go. She'll probably lay in the next month or so. It's normal. It's winter. Orpingtons mature slow. I have a leghorn who are very early maturing breeds and she's 33 weeks, no eggs.

What they said! Chickens are on their own schedules, and I think they do it to mess with our heads! Give her some more time. Once the days really start getting longer, she will start laying for you. She does have a little longer to go in my oppinion...she's got some deeper shades of red to reach first

Suplemental light is your choice. Personally, I don't see the need to waste the electrcitiy for an eventuality that will happen reguardless of wether I throw money at it or not *shrug* Mine waited to just around 8 months to start laying, and a month later, I am still waiting for the straggler to begin...her comb tells me I will be waiting a while yet.

 

[curranchickens]

Thank you all for your imput. I feel alittle better. It just feels like it will never happen. I am on here reading posts every day about someone's chicken that is 18 weeks old or 20 weeks old laying the first egg. I find myself getting jealous over other peoples EGGS!!! How crazy is that? I feel like a woman with a fatility problem that goes around looking at everyone else's babies with envy. UGGG... I never thought I would be jealous over other peoples EGGS!

 

[gryeyes]

You had to go and get Orpingtons, didn't you?!?!? They are notoriously late maturing. But OH so pretty! I love my Orps. My very first Orpington was/is a Buff; she started laying at six months. 3 weeks later she went broody and hatched a single chick that wasn't even one of her eggs. She's gone broody 3 more times since then, and is just over two years old.

Patience. They'll lay when they are ready. I consider each egg a bonus gift from my girls.

 

[Mum]

I have two orpingtons in my flock. One was born around the same time your's were end May/June and one a little bit later. Both have now (finally!!) come into lay.

The older one has had a red face/comb/wattles all winter long, but there was no way she was going to lay an egg - despite singing the egg song (stubborn little thing

) she simply was not in that frame of mind

I really do empathise with the waiting - and you are only tormenting yourself reading posters who are blessed at 18/21weeks because so much depends on whether they are hybrids, pure breeds, the number of eggs they lay a year (on average) and the length of daylight hours.

I live in England and we are only getting 10hrs of daylight right now, but my girls came into lay in the past couple weeks (so I'm not sold on the idea it has to be 14hrs of daylight to happen! Either that, or my girls simply haven't read the forums and dance to the beat of their own drum!

)

Orpies are known for being late developers and frequent broodiness. But their cuteness, friendliness and tasty eggs when they do lay, more than make up for those two shortfalls.

Can't wait to see you posting you've got your first egg

 

[curranchickens]

38 weeks, 3 days and still no eggs.....

 

[Imp]

38 weeks, 3 days and still no eggs.....

You might have a record!

Sorry you are still waiting. If you were closer I'd give you some.

Imp

 

[StarLover21]

Sorry you're still waiting . However, don't give up on them starting to lay! I've seen chickens on here laying at 40-45 weeks old, and orpingtons are one of the most slow to mature breeds. Oh, and I just realized- if your birds are show quality, they will oftem be slower to mature. Breeders don't breed for early maturing birds. I'm not sure why this happens, (i'm not into the show/breeder stuff), but that could be it if you got them from a good breeder. At this age they may just be waiting for spring, which is right around the corner! I'm sure you'll get some yummy eggs soon

 

[StarLover21]

Also, do you have recent pics?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Nope Imp - I just had an 11 month old start laying. I thought she would never lay, but now she's cranking them out!

 

[bleith]

My EE just layed her first egg right at about 40 weeks. A long wait, however she has laid 5out of 6 days. Hang in there. They'll come