Orpington egg laying

[Rick589]

Good Morning, I have 22 week old chickens which, to my understanding, puts these hens right in the window for beginning to lay. However, this timing is happening right as the shorted days of the year are approaching. Should I be anticipating the start of lay within the near future or should I expect a further delay because of the short days coinciding with the point of lay?

 

[arianna7]

Good morning!

So, you’ve got those 22-week-old hens that are just about ready to start laying eggs—how exciting! But I totally get it, the timing is a bit tricky with winter coming and the days getting shorter. At this age, your hens are usually right on the edge of starting to lay, but just like people, each hen has her own timeline. They typically need around 14-16 hours of light each day to really get into the egg-laying groove, and with winter approaching, those shorter days can delay things.

If you want to give them a little nudge, consider adding some artificial lights in the coop to mimic longer days. This can encourage them to start laying sooner. If you’re sticking with just natural light, though, be ready for a wait until spring when the days start getting longer again. Keep an eye on your girls for signs they’re getting ready, like squatting or checking out nesting spots. If you want to keep the egg production going through the winter, a little extra lighting can really help. But if you choose to go au naturel, just be patient—spring will bring more daylight and hopefully more eggs!

Happy chicken keeping!

 

[Rick589]

Thanks for the reply. In the back of my mind I had that thought that a delay may be in the cards. So be it, I ‘d rather let things happen naturally anyway. I did fail to mention that we ended up with two rooster among the six chickens, not planned and I know the ratio is way off, and they’ve been feeling randy lately but the hens so far aren’t interested. Everyone is the same age and I wasn’t sure if the roo behavior was any indication of where the hens may be in the whole egg laying saga.

 

[arianna7]

the roos defenatly don't indicate the hens egg laying!roos will always be like that especially at there age!

 

[FrostRanger]

There's no telling when they'll start laying. I had a pullet start laying in the dead of winter when the days were at their shortest but most will wait until spring. Judging by their behavior though I don't think yours are ready yet. Nothing to do but watch and wait, they'll lay when they're ready

 

[Ridgerunner]

Similar experiences. I've had pullets start laying this time of the year with natural daylight only 10 hours per day. Mine certainly don't need 12, 14, or 16 hour to lay. If they lay they usually do well on 10 hours.

I've also had pullets wait until the longer days of spring to start. I've had hens finish their molt and start laying this time of the year and lay well. I've had hens finish the molt and wait until the longer days of spring to start again. I have no idea when yours will start laying. It could be tomorrow, it could be March or so.

Good luck!