I should know better than to ask this.....but......

[miss_thenorth]

Using this as a point of reference: http://www.allaboutchickens.tk/

Ok. my pullets should be laying any day now. To be more accurate--Nov 15 was their 20 week mark. thier combs are not red yet, so I know that they are not ready yet.

They are Standard Barred Rocks, if that makes any difference. Obtained from a hatchery as day olds.

So the typical question of when will they lay-- I will not ask. I know they will lay when they lay. Which hopefully will be soon.

But according to this chart, they start laying and then go through a molt? Is this accurate? Will the molt in December?January?? I was under the impression that they would only molt in warmer weather.

Okay, patience for a first time chick raiser..... Are there any things that will hinder a pullet from laying? As in, I have been battling lice and mites all summer thanks to the little sparrow type birds that have been eating all of my chicken food. and lkiving in my barn. I thought I got them all a few months ago, but recently saw a mite on one pullets back. If bugs hinder the egg laying--does it have to be a bad infestation, or just a few bugs. Currently, there are just a few bugs, and dusting will occur tomorrow.

Other than that, would you all say that this chart is a fairly accurate reference?

Thank you so much for your patience asnd experience.

 

[smith2]

I can't say what yours will do, but mine laid for about 10 months before it got hot and then they started molting in the heat. The molt lasted about 3 months and then they started laying again. This time they lay less eggs but the ones they do lay are BIG!

 

[Heather J]

Oh, I hope my one-year-olds start laying bigger eggs after they decide to start laying again! I've gotten no eggs at all for over a month, and those were very few near the end. I understand most of my hens were late-season chicks (I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but I'm guessing they hatched some time late July/August since they were all laying in mid-January when I got them).

My barred rocks are about two weeks older than yours and are just starting to get some red in their combs! I'm hoping for eggs before Christmas (okay, so I'm really hoping for eggs WELL before Christmas, but I'm trying to be realistic here.) I've never had a problem with mites or lice, but I know some people who said their chickens stopped laying when they got lice (I probably ought to do some checks to see if it's more than the molt (that looks done to my untrained eye) that is keeping them from laying.