How long should it take?

[chickathon]

I have 6 australorps and two New Hampshire Reds that have red combs and wattles that haven't laid a single egg!

I even kept them confined to see if maybe that they were hiding a nest. No extra eggs. I have 3 red sex links that have started and they are the same age. I got them from Meyer hatchery and they have been health from the begining. Could even pullets stop laying until spring?

Even the red sex links don't lay every day. These are my first chickens. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[ChickenPeep]

How old are they?

 

[chickathon]

They were hatched June 20th. So this makes them about 6 months.

 

[cluck-darth-peep]

Quote:
I also purchased at Meyer hatchery, also born June 20th. My Grandmother told me the heavy breeds start to lay around 25/26 weeks, in winter. The RIR, Speckled Sussex, and Golden Buff have been giving me an egg a day since November. Waiting on the Barred Rock. Give it a few more weeks. I expect before Christmas.

 

[Linn Bee]

Quote:
My Australorps (and my light Brahmas) were hatched May 14th. I got my first egg on October 30. Don't know which breed did the deed, but by end of the first week I was getting up to 8 eggs a day from 10 hens.

Your girls are pretty close to mine right now. I would think you can expect an egg any day now. . . if they will lay in the short days. I have my lights set for 13 hours of daylight and usually get 8-9 eggs a day.

Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening zone 5a - 4b in south-est, central-est Wisconsin

 

[cluck-darth-peep]

Do you have a light in the coop? My Grandma is 94 years old and she told me she turned the barn light on at 2:30am. And do not feed them a lot of scratch or treats, she said.

 

[Linn Bee]

Quote:
I do have lights in my coop. My light comes on earlier in the morning than the sun rises (about 4:30) and goes off about 8:00 a.m. Then the incandescent light comes on about 4:30 in the p.m. and goes off at 7:00 p.m.

I also have a red light that comes on 15 minutes before 7:00 and goes off 15 minutes after so the chickens have both warning and time to seek their roost before full dark falls.

Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening zone 5a - 4b in south-est, central-est Wisconsin

 

[chickathon]

I don't have a light in the coop. I do the natural lighting thing. I think it must be just my luck. I posted my question and one of my australorps laid an egg today. Was suprised to see how small it was. Does anyone Know how large they should be? This one was just barely big enough to be called a large egg.