I don't get it . I bought 3 sex links and 3 Buff orpington as chicks . They have no given me a single egg . Everything seems fine . They get plenty of food and oyster shell . In the past I have raised several flocks with no problems . I'm frustrated to say the least . It's winter in New Hampshire so I have the light on in the coop constantly thinking maybe they fell behind due to lack of daylight . In the past I have had eggs by 18-22 weeks . Any ideas ?
My guess is youth & seasonal clash. Even though you have supplemental light they may not be buying into it. My guess is they will lay good for you in the spring.
X2, plus I have read somewhere that if you keep lights on constantly it stresses the birds and really doesn't help as much as you think it should. They do need some night. They might be more inclined to lay if you add the lights for only an extra two to three hours in the morning (Again, I've heard that is better than at night. If you add the lights at night and they go off suddenly they might have a problem roosting. I've had welsummers go over eight months before laying so perhaps orpingtons do too, but I would have thought the sex links would start laying. Have their combs turned redder than they were yet? Are any of them squatting or checking out the nest boxes?
The combs of the sex links seem small for their age . Pink rather than red . In the past I had RIR and the combs were bigger . The orpingtons seem perfect and should be ready although they are usually later than the sex links . The only thing different from previous flocks was that I got these chicks in may rather than in March or April . But I never had a problem with RIR, NH reds , or easter eggers I had one oddball thought , though . I wonder if it's possible that I could have bought a bad couple of bags of layer pellets
Where did you get the chicks from? What have you had them on for feed until now? Protein %. What else are you giving them for feed? Scratch? How much? At the most, they should not be getting more than total of 14 hours of combined light per day. When did you start the extra light? When you get chicks later in the spring, the onset of shortening day length delays the onset of puberty for them.
