Not Molting and still laying

[meadrian]

I have three 8 month old hens. One started laying at 5 months is an Olive Egger and still laying, one is a Buff Brahma, squatting and looks like getting ready to lay, the other is a white Easter Egger and no sign of laying. They aren't molting, either and it's early December. Should I be concerned?

 

[JedJackson]

No need for concern. They will molt when they're ready. Or they might have had gradual molts where only a few feathers were replaced over a longer period of time.

Oh, I forgot to add that chickens don't have their first hard molt until 15 to 18 months old. So there you go.

 

[meadrian]

Perfect! Thanks so much!

 

[sourland]

First year pullets generally do not have a full autumn molt and frequently lay through the winter without supplemental lighting

 

[Ridgerunner]

Oh, I forgot to add that chickens don't have their first hard molt until 15 to 18 months old. So there you go.

This is essentially true for the commercial egg laying flocks. They carefully control their laying by managing lights so natural lighting has no effect. You'll see this in literature but if you look closely they are talking about the commercial flocks. I learn a lot from the studies performed on commercial flocks but some of that stuff does not apply because we don't manage them that way.

I have three 8 month old hens. One started laying at 5 months is an Olive Egger and still laying, one is a Buff Brahma, squatting and looks like getting ready to lay, the other is a white Easter Egger and no sign of laying. They aren't molting, either and it's early December. Should I be concerned?

I would not be. Frustrated maybe but not concerned. Some pullets will lay their first fall, continue laying throughout winter, and continue laying until the molt the following fall. Some pullets skip laying their first fall and wait until the following spring when the day are getting longer. They will molt the following fall. They may or may not molt their first fall/winter.

This has a lot to do with whether the days are getting shorter or longer. If I did the math right, in San Fransisco you should have about 9 and a half hours of daylight today. I have about 10. The days are still getting shorter but in about a week and a half they will start getting longer.

I've had pullets 9 months old start laying this time of the year. Exactly this time of the year. Those were frustrating ones. I've had them start laying in July and continue laying through the fall/winter/spring/summer until the molt the next year. I've had a few wait until the longer days of spring to start, though very few. If I have to wait that long I've typically selected to keep others and eat those.

I cannot tell you what yours will do. I can tell you what mine have done and that can be about anything. Good luck!

 

[Delphene]

I have three 8 month old hens. One started laying at 5 months is an Olive Egger and still laying, one is a Buff Brahma, squatting and looks like getting ready to lay, the other is a white Easter Egger and no sign of laying. They aren't molting, either and it's early December. Should I be concerned?

This is fairly common and not something to be to worried about chickens all do their things at different times, my chickens are still laying.