Late layers?

[MaryBee1]

I started over again this year with six chickens, a Buff Orpington, Australorp, Speckled Sussex, Ameracuana, Red sex-linked, Cuckoo Marans,and two inherited Hamburgs who were a year or so old. The Buff started laying at about 18-19 weeks, followed by the Austrolorp and Sussex. They laid quite nicely and along with the Hamburgs gave a pretty reliable four eggs every day until the Buff went broody and stopped laying, then moulted and has yet to start laying again. Over the fall and winter, the Hamburgs moulted and stopped laying and the Australorp and Sussex slowed way down. So I was getting only light brown eggs, and then lo and behold, in early January I began getting dark brown and medium brown eggs - the Cuckoo Marans and Red sex-linked were laying finally at seven months of age. Has any one else had this happen? Oh, the Ameracuana still hasn't laid anything or at least I've had no blue eggs.
They are in the same coop I've used for years, eating the same organic layer feed supplemented with greens and whatever else is around, and allowed to free range for 2-3 hours a day. Nothing has changed except the chickens.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Welcome to BYC!
7 months is not really "late" for the onset of production - especially for birds coming of age in the *off-season*. Just as with humans, maturity occurs at different rates within individual birds. Normal onset of production occurs anywhere between 18-28 weeks with a +/- of 2+ weeks on either side in most standard production breeds on the market today -- with some breeds and/or birds bred more for exhibition than production as the primary focus often taking even longer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Many of my May hatched birds are just beginning to lay and a few lower production breeds haven't started yet. It's not unusual. To me hens beginning to lay at 4 months is more unusual, especially for anything that isn't considered a light breed, or a high production breed. I always add a month to the expected start date for breeds when they are maturing in early to middle winter.

 

[Ljc01]

I having an Austrolorp that is 91/2 months old and she has just started checking out the nest boxes in the last few days. I don't think I will ever get eggs from her. Her sister on the other hand has been laying for a few months.

 

[connecticuthens]

I have five hens born the week of April 19th. The first one started laving right after Christmas. I'm still waiting on the other four.