Late April Chicks Not Laying

[deenamr]

Is it possible the girls are just waiting for spring and won't start laying until they are close to a year old. They are absolutely beautiful and charming Welsummers and I am so anxious for some of their beautiful eggs.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[fldiver97]

I have an EE that is about a week or two older than your girls and she just laid her first egg yesterday. The others her age are Wyandottes and started at 24 weeks, 28 weeks and 30 weeks. I did not think the EE would lay before spring but here we are, January in WI....

 

[bukbugack]

Do you have the birds under artificial light? If not, then you probably won't see any eggs until the days get quite a bit longer. If your birds were hatched in late April of last year, they were probably just reaching point of lay about the same time the day length was becoming too short for them to be laying. On the bright side, it's said that the later a bird starts laying, the bigger their eggs are.

 

[EweSheep]

My Welsummer Bantams have not laid yet and hopefully they should be laying soon by the color of their combs and wattles. Unless they are eating them!

 

[deenamr]

Thanks for the responses.

No artificial light.

I have seen my girls sitting in the nest box and combs and wattles are nice and ready. I can't wait for them to start.

 

[msgenie516]

Quote:
It's funny you should mention that about the size of the eggs. I have 3 EE pullets, two of which started laying in November (green eggs of normal size). The last one didn't lay until this past week and is laying HUGE (2.6 oz.) ivory colored eggs. I'm a bit disappointed about the color, but the size makes up for it! And she laid these huge eggs practically from the start. They are not double-yolkers, so I think she will continue to lay large eggs.

All three were born the end of March, 2009, so there's always hope! Good luck!

Genie

 

[GardenWeasel]

My EE girls were born April !4 and started laying at twenty-one wks and laid solid almost every day until 2 wks ago. They aren't molting. It did get real cold here but it has warmed up a lot. Any body else have this happen?

 

[littlelemon]

I am kind of relieved to see your post, as my Welsummers are also not laying yet. They are 41 weeks old (yes, I have been keeping track) and I have never had to wait this long for an egg! Hang in there- I am hoping come February I will see some eggs!

 

[Mahonri]

I have a March EE and an April Ameraucana that haven't laid yet.

 

[deenamr]

Yeah!!! They are finally laying their beautiful terracotts eggs.