No eggs yet?!?!?!? Whats the problem?

[pocmts]

We received our day old chickens on May 7 and still don't have any eggs, whats up? We have a mix of RIR, Speckled sussex, buff orpingtons and jersey giants. Not expecting the jersey giants yet but the others should be laying, yes?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
That makes them about 5 months old, so you could very well have another couple of months before you see any eggs.

 

[pocmts]

Yikes...a couple months??? I thought they started laying around 20-22 weeks. We also have some red sex links that started laying at 19 weeks

 

[Katy]

This time of year especially with the shorter days they'll be slower to start. Some of my orps have been about 28+ weeks before they start. My SS are generally about 6 months. I've found with pullets if they start before the days start getting too short they'll lay well over the winter, but if they don't get going it takes them longer than in the spring.

 

[happi752]

Yep, it takes 16+ hours a day of light to get them to laying. If they hatched out in may, they are probably not going to lay for another 6 to 8 weeks. now with the shorter daylight hours, you probably wont get eggs from them until spring.

 

[PlymouthRocker]

We got our week-old Buffs the day after you did, and they have been laying for 9 days. They started laying in the nesting boxes, but now are laying on the floor and in the run. You may have some sneaky layers like I do.

 

[pocmts]

So would a light in the coop for a few more hours trick them into laying?

 

[jerseygirl1]

I'm in the same boat, mine hatched on June 1, and they are now pooping in the nesting boxes....

 

[redstars]

Ditto.... 19 weeks and waiting. I have a light on a timer that's on at 5 am they are getting about 13 1/2 hrs of light
but nothing yet.