New Layer Question

[ShannaS]

I have been raising/hatching chickens for 12 plus years but never ran into this situation. I recently purchased a young flock of hens that are currently not laying. Hens are approx. 7 months old but were never started on laying grain. I started them on the correct crumbles/pellets approx. 3 weeks ago and still not laying. Tips? Thanks

 

[SueT]

Welcome to BYC! With the shorter days, they may not lay till spring.

 

[DobieLover]

I have been raising/hatching chickens for 12 plus years but never ran into this situation. I recently purchased a young flock of hens that are currently not laying. Hens are approx. 7 months old but were never started on laying grain. I started them on the correct crumbles/pellets approx. 3 weeks ago and still not laying. Tips? Thanks

What breed are they? Some breeds are very late bloomers.
How long have you had them? If it hasn't been very long and they were not laying before you got them, the stress of the move would delay the onset of laying as well as the shorter days.
If they are not laying yet, they should not be eating a layer formulation with excess calcium that their bodies don't need.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC! @ShannaS

Good questions by @DobieLover .
I have one more.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[Club cramahe coop]

I’ll be watching this thread so please update us when they start to lay. I have a first time flock of 19 week olds. I originally googled and planned for eggs by now. The. I realized that google doesn’t know as much as all of the people here . I am now learning that it may take much longer and that the time of year and climate may be working against me. I live in Ontario candid and the days are getting cooler and shorter. The girls are awake about 11 hours a day right now and day time temps are 50-60 degrees and nights a bit cooler. I don’t want to add supplemental lighting yet either. I may add it in March or April to kick start the spring, but not now. I was wondering what the odds are I will even get eggs this fall. I was assuming I would get a few eventually. What’s the chances that none of them will lay ? We have a mixed flock
Black australopes, buff Orpington, Rhode Island reds, silver laced Wyandotte’s and a couple rocks.

 

[DobieLover]

I’ll be watching this thread so please update us when they start to lay. I have a first time flock of 19 week olds. I originally googled and planned for eggs by now. The. I realized that google doesn’t know as much as all of the people here . I am now learning that it may take much longer and that the time of year and climate may be working against me. I live in Ontario candid and the days are getting cooler and shorter. The girls are awake about 11 hours a day right now and day time temps are 50-60 degrees and nights a bit cooler. I don’t want to add supplemental lighting yet either. I may add it in March or April to kick start the spring, but not now. I was wondering what the odds are I will even get eggs this fall. I was assuming I would get a few eventually. What’s the chances that none of them will lay ? We have a mixed flock
Black australopes, buff Orpington, Rhode Island reds, silver laced Wyandotte’s and a couple rocks.

19 weeks is a bit early for these breeds. If they are going to start this year, it will start within a month.
You will likely have some of them lay for you over the winter. The cold weather does not stop them. Daylight has a stronger influence on laying.

 

[Club cramahe coop]

My fear is they will lay the first egg next month when we go on a weeks holiday. It would be disappointing to give the first egg to the chicken sitter . Lol.

 

[SueT]

I have Spitzhauben pullets that are 18 weeks old. I do not expect eggs from them before spring. It would be a lovely surprise if they laid us eggs this fall!!!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Black australopes, buff Orpington, Rhode Island reds, silver laced Wyandotte’s and a couple rocks.

I have Barred Rocks I got as day old chicks the middle of August last year.
I have lights inside and outside the coop. I turn on daily at 5 am. I turn it off an hour before sunset and a nightlight comes on so they can see to get on the roost. I turn that off when I lockup the coop 10 to 20 minutes after sunset.
The Barred Rocks started to lay in January, between 20 and 23 weeks.
I would add light now for your chickens. 20 minutes a day, up to an hour weekly. 14/15 hours of light is what most say chickens need to lay consistently.
Sunset here is 6:24. So my hens are getting less than 13.5 hours of light. I noticed a drop-off in production last week when sunset was 6:37. But I still got 22 eggs.
I get enough eggs for myself with 5 layers so I don't need to keep them at maximum production. GC

 

[DobieLover]

My fear is they will lay the first egg next month when we go on a weeks holiday. It would be disappointing to give the first egg to the chicken sitter . Lol.

Then you must give instructions that all eggs collected must be photographed, cataloged and saved for you!