how long?

[Stoney22]

So my hens have never laid, they are about six month maybe seven months old. I wondered if they didn't lay because when they reach egglaying age the days werent long enough but I think they would have laid an egg or two. I have four hens a rooster and seven ducks in a six by four foot hut with roosting bars that is approximately fi e and a half feet tall. I just recently started turning a light on in ghe coop and leaving a large bowl of layer pellets in there with a bowl of water at all times on top of the nesting boxes bc the one on the ground the ducks foul up to quickly. When can I expect eggs? They've been on the layer pellets for a week now and nearly two weeks of the light.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Could be stress from the sounds of it-thats an aweful large amount of birds for a 6 x 4 coop... each bird gets 4sq ft..you only have 24 sq ft - 6 birds MAX...you have 12 birds...stress-short day length..can you put the ducks elsewhere? another coop-shed-fenced in protected area? Or the chickens? Have you checked for lice or mites?

 

[Stoney22]

WWell I have two books and they both say a birds need two sq ft. I have no other place for the birds to go. How would I check for lice or mites?

 

[Mnswm2]

What kind of hens are they? I think they are getting close. Its a waiting game for sure but could be stress and shorter days as well. How many hours do you have the light on?

 

[goldies99]

chickens need 14 hours of light to lay.....it could be stress....but they might be used to all the company by now....some chickens dont lay till they are 27 weeks...it could be the shorter days...maybe they wont
lay now, untill spring!................you just have to wait and see!.......good luck!.............merry christmas

 

[Stoney22]

They are lebhorn hybrids, and leghorn bantam nybrids. As of ten or so days ago tney have light all night. And as of a week ago they have layer pellets and water constantly available to them

 

[madmantrapper]

Light all night is not good, they will not sleep. They should have had water and feed available all along. I don't want to seem harsh but maybe you should sell those hens and go the grocery for your eggs.

 

[Mnswm2]

Put the light on a timer during the day for 13 hours or so. ALWAYS have plenty of food and water for them and you could try adding pepper to popcorn or oatmeal if you feed them that for a treat. Just make sure they have a lot of fresh water because they will go through a lot. Never let them be without food and water. Good luck.

 

[cmom]

I have 7 watt night lights in all of my coops 24/7/365. My birds lay like troupers.

 

[Ken3]

I also had a young flock going into this winter season, and they were laying pretty minimally, so I put a light out there. About three weeks later, I went from average 1 egg a day to about 4-5 (with 6 hens). I have a timer which gives them a couple extra hours of light both pre-dawn and post-dusk. When I look out of my bedroom window to the coop, it looks like a party going on out there!

Ken