Late Starting Layers

[Bonnie148]

I have 21 layers that include 6 EE's and 15 other varieties that hatched May 26, and I got my first egg, an EE, Nov. 5, a day short of 19 weeks. The EE's all were laying before I got my first tan egg, around the end of Nov. Once they started, most got going well, and one day last week I got 16, and I regularly get 13-14. I usually get 5 EE eggs a day, and I am amazed at how quickly the size of their eggs increased, considering what little girls they are! So far, I have not felt I needed to use any additional light if they are doing this well. Weather here in Central Mass. has been down below zero on several mornings, but they still keep cranking! I give them warm water in the mornings, and spread a couple of quarts of scratch feed in their coop each morning, along with their free-choice layer pellets. I guess that keeps them moving so they don't get as cold.

This is my first posting, and I'm so happy I found this site!!
Besides my girls, I have a lovely Blue-laced Wyandotte rooster, an ancient cat (28 years and holding!) and a very patient and long-suffering hubby! I( am lucky enough to live in a rural area where my girls cackling don't bother anyone)

 

[digitS']

Welcome to BYC, Bonnie !!

Congratulations on those Easter Eggers and that ancient cat, especially!

Steve

 

[Wynette]

This is an interesting post; I was frustrated with spring hatches from '08, and some not laying before the shorter fall/winter hours came along. I've got several that are now 9 months old and have not begun to lay yet. I'm sure they'll begin soon.

Because of this frustration, I decided to do a winter hatch, even though it's such a pain raising them up in the winter. I was assuming they'd begin laying in about the same timeframe as spring hatches, so I'll be curious to see if they actually begin to lay later. I did two hatches in December, so I was assuming I'd have eggs by June. I hope I'm right!

 

[katrinag]

I have found that sometimes new layers will lay through the winter where as the older one stop for molt and shorted days.
Like it was said before too alot depends on the breed and if you are using extra light.

 

[eggbeforchicken]

have you tried duck weed out of the pond I was reading that duckweed left for a day to dry then feed to your chicken is protein high https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/336934/feeding-duckweed-to-layers just some thing to read
Liam

 

[PugetCountry]

We live in WA where the daylight goes from approx. 15 hours of daylight down to 8 or 9. And it's rainy and wet so they are more limited to being outside. Our hens were hatched last May/June and I didn't get my first egg until January. None of mine laid before 34 weeks. Now they are laying machines but I think if I got chicks again I might get them in Feb/March. I know people who got chicks at that time and did get eggs through the winter with no additional lighting.