Please post age of your RIR when they first laid???

[n2h20]

22 weeks i believe.
i kept thinking any day,
skipped on her secind day and has laid every day since,,
i have a chick that is a black RIR??,,, (dont know the name) and she started a few days after the other/ RIR and has laid everyday since.

layer/starter 3/2 ratio 24/7 plus free range for a few hours a day
85f+ temps,

go on vacation or something,,, it will happen then..

 

[HennysMom]

Mine are weird - they started laying at 15.5 weeks and have been going steady ever since.

Began them on the normal course of feed (chick, grower, layer).

 

[leasmom]

Is that true about the feed???

 

[HennysMom]

is what true? Adding scratch or corn will drop egg production?

I give my girls scratch now that its cold every day - and I'm still getting 6 eggs every morning, 1 from each girl

Never heard of that...and I know some people that give their chickens scratch every single day year round - and corn too (fresh and dried). I try to limit the corn however, due to it raising their body temperature (some people debate that fact, but..I'm going with "majority rules" on it). I have heard if they arent getting enough protein in their diet it can drop egg production....but if you get a good balanced feed, that should be sufficient.

Mine also get grit and oyster shell (available to them at all times) and a daily "goody" (fruit, veggy, scrambled egg, oatmeal, grits, etc)

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

I am not an expert so I am not positive, but I have had NO decrease at all since adding a few handfuls of scratch to the girls on the cold nights. My theory is if it is true among the popular opinion here that it warms them up I figure a little at night will do just that. I am getting 6 eggs a day from 9 girls.

 

[speckledhen]

Some scratch every day is just fine, as long as it's a small percentage of their total feed. Two of my hatchery RIRs laid at 19 weeks, the third at 23 weeks. My breeder quality RIRs are about 27 weeks old and no eggs from any of the three of them yet.

 

[henney]

19Wks from one RHR and no eggs from the other's and they are all the same age.

 

[chick2good4u]

I have 6. Some started laying at 21 weeks and some have just started at 24 weeks. Just depends on how fast they mature I guess.

 

[pookiethebear]

Mine were exactly 22 weeks when they started laying.

 

[Cassandra]

Don't panic... mine didn't start laying until they were between 27 and 30 weeks old (some sooner than others). Yes, over 7 months But they have been the best layers after they got started and I LOVE them. They are my favorites--so plump and glossy feathered and friendly.

I feed mine a good layer pellet and add all kinds of stuff and it doesn't seem to bother them. They get all kinds of table scraps and all kinds of weeds out of the yard, plus scratch sometimes.

Cassandra