How much longer???

[Georgeschicks]

Hello!
I am wondering how much longer it’s going to take for my hens to lay, I have 4 22 week hens. 1 is a Delaware, 2 are Easter and 1 is a bcm.
Thanks!!!

 

[Wilmer Gehman]

Give them time! Every chicken is different. If they don't start laying soon you might want to check for mites. Also its fall so they might be molting.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You don't mention where you live, but if you are in the northern hemisphere, we are entering into shortening days...and that is working against you.

Pullets need 12 hours of uninterrupted light to trigger the pituitary to send hormones to the ovary to begin egg formation. It takes 14 consistent hours to produce regular laying.

For pullets hatched in mid to late summer, that presents a problem as often there isn't enough light in the fall time when they come of age to trigger lay.

Commercial high production lines, such as Red Sex Links and the Leghorns, often start laying anyway as their lines have been manipulated for more sensitive pituitary glands. They generally come to lay by 20 weeks like clock work no matter what...but also the commercial growers put them in lighted buildings.

You've got more "heritage" type birds that take a bit longer to mature, and they are maturing in shortening daylight.

That means they may not lay until spring unless you place them on a lighting schedule now...which will take a while to kick in too.

So it may be a while.
LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

They won't be molting...they won't do that until after their first laying season...around 18 months of age.

But it won't hurt to check overall health...but it has to do with lighting as the root cause....and the fact you have slower maturing breeds (Delaware, Easter Egger, and BCM).

LofMc

 

[junebuggena]

Could be another month or so, could be tomorrow. Genetics, diet, stress, and light exposure are all factors that impact onset of lay.

 

[Georgeschicks]

They are getting about 11 and a half hours of sunlight. So I should expect it to take a while longer?

 

[junebuggena]

What are you feeding?

 

[jcehmer]

I have 2 Easter Eggers that were 22 weeks on Monday. One of them laid her first egg on Monday. The other hasn't started. I started with 6 Sexlink hens 2 1/2 years ago. 3 of them have died with 2 of them in the past couple of weeks. My younger chickens are not production chickens. I'm hoping for a longer life for my new chicks since they will lay less eggs.

 

[Georgeschicks]

What are you feeding?

Mamma pro organic layer pellets

 

[Georgeschicks]

You don't mention where you live, but if you are in the northern hemisphere, we are entering into shortening days...and that is working against you.

Pullets need 12 hours of uninterrupted light to trigger the pituitary to send hormones to the ovary to begin egg formation. It takes 14 consistent hours to produce regular laying.

For pullets hatched in mid to late summer, that presents a problem as often there isn't enough light in the fall time when they come of age to trigger lay.

Commercial high production lines, such as Red Sex Links and the Leghorns, often start laying anyway as their lines have been manipulated for more sensitive pituitary glands. They generally come to lay by 20 weeks like clock work no matter what...but also the commercial growers put them in lighted buildings.

You've got more "heritage" type birds that take a bit longer to mature, and they are maturing in shortening daylight.

That means they may not lay until spring unless you place them on a lighting schedule now...which will take a while to kick in too.

So it may be a while.
LofMc

What do you mean by lighting schedule?