How to jump start the egg laying?

[kakayona]

I have 14 sex-links getting born on June 22. Is there anything I could be feeding them special? I currently feed them Flock Raiser.
What age can I expect this particular breed to start laying?

Thanx in advance. -Lance

 

[Denninmi]

At around 6 months of age. Not too much you can do to speed it up that I'm aware of, maybe someone else will have some tips for you. But, since they'll be six months old in the depths of winter when they days are their shortest, you should set a light up for them to come on about 3-4 hours before sunup or stay on 3-4 hours after sundown -- 14 to 16 hours of light will encourage egg production when they do start to lay, and you'll get more eggs that way during the winter than if they didn't have the light.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
They'll lay when they are ready--probably around the end of October. All you can do is give them a few nests with soft material--I use straw--and a few golf balls or artificial eggs for encouragement. Don't try to feed layer food until they are all actually laying--it doesn't start them laying but can be bad for their health and development. Maybe around the middle of October you can set up a small feeder--some use a tuna can nailed to the wall--of oyster shell for those that are nearly ready to get a little extra calcium.

BTW to give you an idea: I have 4 red sex link Comets that were hatched around the first week or so of April and they just started laying last week.

 

[gryeyes]

What woodmort said.

I try to suggest y'all do what I did: I had NO expectation of eggs before 24 weeks. I was pleasantly surprised by one pullet, and the other 6 were right on schedule.

 

[MakNugget]

It's hard to do, but it's just like Woodmort and Gryeyes have said. Every day I checked the nest box first after 18 weeks, and today I forgot to check since I wanted to get the girls out for fresh treats and this evening a little after the 23rd week one pullet gave me the most perfect egg.

My pullets were born early April, so you have plenty of time to find other things to do than waiting. I find ordering expensive things online helps pass the time.

 

[4 luv of eggs]

I think those that post early layers are really the exception. Heck, I put boxes in at 16 weeks because I began seeing people posting about their pullets beginning at that age. I had a long wait. Mine were about 22 weeks before I got my first egg and it was awhile before others of her age began to lay. They completely ignored the boxes too...aside from roosting in them and poohing them up.

Waiting is very hard at this point and besides that, fall and winter are coming. Days are shortening which can reduce laying. Just tell yourself it will happen when it happens. Besides, I've read that early layers can have problems later on. So beginning to lay later is a good thing. Good luck.