Late Starting Layers

[mjdtexan]

Quote:
One of the women here who goes by the handle "Chicken Women" once PM'd me here design and methods of growing worms. I am going to use it in a couple of weeks. If you ask her I bet she will share it with you too.

 

[speckledhen]

I have two pullets, each over 40 weeks old, who haven't laid one egg. One is an Ameraucana and one is a banty Cochin. That is very late, but every other one their age has begun laying, even with our extra cold weather for our locale this year.

 

[salemskies]

My friend and I only live about 15 minutes apart in Southern California. My chickens are older but she's getting 4 eggs a day and I'm lucky to get one. We obviously live in the same climate-it's been in the 80s the past couple of weeks

so you would think that would get mine moving. nope. In the meantime I'm accumulating chicken after chicken to take my mind off of the fact that I have unaturally lazy chickens. ho hum. I've also been sucked into the whole Silkie phenomenom-I can't get enough-gotta have more Silkie!!

I don't think it's a difference in feed either. We pretty much use the same stuff. I just think her chickens like her better.

 

[AngieChick]

I have four 30 week old EEs. The 2 Golden Comets have been laying for almost 2 months now. I'm convinced I've got another month of slacking from the EEs, untl the light is better.

 

[chickie momma di]

WE HAVE 2 BO'S AND THE PULLETT STARTED AT EXACTLY 20 WEEKS ON THE NOSE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 1ST REAL SNOW STORM IN DECEMBER AND HAS ONLY TAKEN 2 DAYS OFF SINCE LAYING A GIGANTIC DOUBLE EGG. VERY CONSISTANT. WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH OUR GRACIE MAE CHICKEN. SHE MAKES THE BEST BREAKFAST!!!
WHEN ALL CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT WEATHER, LIGHT, LIVING SITUATION IN GENERAL THEY WILL LAY.
GOOD LUCK.

 

[ghulst]

If you want eggs buy a bird breed for egg laying. Not all birds are created equal. The best layers will lay in any weather or tenpature if they are getting about 14 hrs of light and good drinks a day. My 3 Isa Brown pullets have laid 3 eggs everyday this year. Production bred chickens are the best producers hands down.

 

[ebonykawai]

I have 43-week old RIRs and only about half are laying. Some birds, especially from a breeder, are slow to mature. No biggie, you'll just get eggs for a longer period of time.

 

[ebonykawai]

Quote:
Cyn, we need to have a contest, LOL.

 

[speckledhen]

LOL, yep, we do, ebony. I'll have to consult the calendar to see how much over 40 weeks they really are, but I'd bet they're getting close to 45 weeks.

 

[HickChick Wannabe]

I have 2 EE's, 2 BR's and 2 Wyandottes hatched mid-June, so they should have started laying around the end of Oct. They didn't start until the end of Dec., with one EE starting first and the rest chiming in by early January. They haven't gotten any artificial light and even when the temps dropped to single digits and below, they kept laying at the same rate. I just recently read that early January is the natural start of the laying season, so I guess they're right on schedule. The eggs are small, though. When do they start getting bigger? And do the EE eggs vary in color within the same bird? I thought both EEs were laying because there were two shades of green. Until I started getting the pink eggs... ?