how long does it take for some pullets to lay

[blueseal]

i have 14 pullets ranging from 8-10 months old and they all arent laying yet. i have a light on a timer in the coop they have free choice layer feed and fresh water everyday. could they be stressed. i have 17 total standards plus a rooster. i gave away 4 older layers yesterday . they have a big coop 10x12 gambrel barn with 14 nestboxes . they have access to a big 200 square run but limited in the winter when it snows . but they can still go out if they want. there choice. i got 9 eggs today out of 14 pullets and 3 older buff orpingtons.

 

[jossanne]

I have 9 girls, EE's and welsummers, who hatched March 16 last year. Some just started laying in the last two weeks. The winter really threw them off, darn it! That could be your girls' problem. Winter really does a doozy on egg production.

 

[Billy7871]

If you got 9 eggs and only 3 older buffs they are laying. 3 buffs are not going to give you 9 eggs. I have a few RIR that are 23 weeks and 1 just started 2 eggs ago. None of the others have laid yet.

 

[blueseal]

Quote:
yes i realize that some of my pullets are laying but not all of them. 9 eggs equals 3 of the older orpingtons plus 6 pullets. the other 8 pullets are being slackers.

 

[journey11]

They could be laying only every couple of days each since it is winter and all. The only way to know who's been doing their job is to do a vent check -- A loose, moist one is laying. Tightly puckered--not laying. Yucky, I know...

I'd check in the early afternoon after most of them should be done for the day.

 

[Rock Wyandotte]

I've read on BYC and other sites that pullets will start to lay beginning at around 20 weeks but mine typically start at 26 - 28 weeks of age. I've never had one start laying earlier than 24 weeks and it has been sporadic at the beginning - laying only every second or third day. Oh, I just re-looked at the "8 - 10 months old". I agree that Winter might have had a lot to do with that!

 

[nacrowe]

I have 12 pullets mixed breeds that are 9months old with the same set up as you it sounds like. I thought they werent laying either until a couple of weeks ago when i looked in a old flower pot by my garge and found 7 brown eggs so i started looking around and found more!!!!! So i closed the coop for a couple of days with food and water in it and a golf ball in each nest box. After doing this a couple of times they started laying in the nest boxes where i can find the eggs so look around you might find some eggs

 

[HEChicken]

It could be that they're all laying but because of natural days off, you're only getting 9 eggs a day. It would be unusual to have 17 layers and get 17 eggs every day....

 

[Keri78]

What breeds are they??? I have buff orps that started laying when they were almost 8 mths old and also have cochin girls(standard & banties) that are now approaching the 8th month and are just starting to show signs of maturity...I would guess they will be laying by March for sure! What do they look like(maturity wise?) how are they acting?(nesting any..squatting?submitting to your roo?) I've heard that they will start submitting to the roo when they are mature enough to lay eggs. Well, hope this helped?