My hens are not laying yet.... 8+ months old!

[bowiebenson]

We live in Iowa, Irealise it is getting a little colder here but it is still in the 60's in our area (but not for long...) but as normal... the days are getting shorter.... Anyways...

I bought silkie chicks the last week of march this year and since it is now november... I'm wondering why they are not laying... a few cochins I purchased along with them are laying (started over a month ago) but the silkies... over 30 hens, a few buff laced polish and some bantam sultans and a few OEG bantams are NOT laying,,, only the 3 cochins! oh and one turken is also laying pretty consistent.....What is the deal... am i just being too impatient?

Does anyone know how long it usually takes for these breeds to lay?

 

[bonder]

Are you giving them extra light? They need 14-16 hours of light a day to lay. We're getting maybe 10-11 hours a day.

I don't know about silkies but I AM SO STINKING JEALOUS THAT YOUR TURKEN IS LAYING!! I got chicks (including a couple Turkens) in June and haven't seen an egg yet. Their baldy little necks and heads are bright red but no eggs. sorry, not the info you were looking for...

 

[BookWorm243]

Mine started late to, I had 5 and only one was laying every other day. So after being told by many people I took the advice and put a lamp in my coop. All it takes is a 40 watt bulb I turn mine on at 7:30 and turn it off at 8:30. Hens need 14 hours of light a day to lay an egg. In a week all of mine where laying every day! It has worked for me thought I would pass it on

 

[bowiebenson]

yeah, they have been getting lights inside the coop for the last 2 months every day from 530 am until some time around 8 at night..... my turken has layed every day for hte last week... finally after being bright red faced since 4 months..... my siltans have been red faced for at least a month....with nothing.... the silkies...obviously dont have red faces... except for the buff ones... for some reason they have red combs and wattles while the whites blacks and blues have too dark of skin to tell..... I just don't inderstand... plus my buff laced polish are huge and red faced starting alond with the turken and they still don't lay... don't even nest..... im confused!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

What are you feeding them?