Point of lay pullets not laying in winter, any suggestions? 🙏🏼😊

[aart]

Yes I did read it! Interesting. Feed water is in the run not the coop for me, maybe I should probably light the coop/roosts as well that’s a good idea! The sun is rising around 7am and setting at 5pm here, and it doesn’t seem feasible to turn the light on at 2am does it?

That's why a timer is good.
They don't need 15 hours of light, 12-13 is plenty.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

maybe I should probably light the coop/roosts as well that’s a good idea!

It's a good way to provoke boredom, feather picking, and a whole host of other undesirable behaviors.

I did not get a Christmas egg.. guess I'll have to practice patience also!

 

[aart]

It's a good way to provoke boredom, feather picking, and a whole host of other undesirable behaviors.

I have not found that to be the case.

 

[Mturner]

Hello! I have a few 23 week old (almost 24 week old) blue andalusian pullets that were “supposed” to start laying last week or the week before. I’ve been feeding them later pellets and scratch as well as the occasional kitchen scraps (all good for chickens ofc), adding supplemental lighting to the run, and adding a heat lamp to the run also. But they’re still not laying yet! I measured their pelvic bones and they are the right size apart to be laying, but I’m not seeing any eggs yet. I’m in SoCal so the weather is 50s-80s recently, no extreme winter weather. Any reasons why they might not be laying yet and any ideas on how to get them to start laying? Thanks!!

The winter solstice was on December 22, so that was the shortest day of the year. From now on we will add about one minute to the evening sunset. The point is we are only getting 10 hours of sunlight and chickens need 12 to 14 hours of sunlight to lay. I never use light in my coop or run ... I just let God take care of it!! And besides even chickens need a break!!!

 

[Meri Maura]

May I ask why you so desperately want them to lay?

 

[oldwynooche]

1. Chickens are born with all the eggs they will lay in their entire lives, which is a number that varies with breed, and within the breed it varies with the individual birds. Overall, the earlier they start laying, the earlier they will stop for good. Then you have another decision to make.
2. You can't adjust their clocks. They'll lay when they lay. They aren't sick or defective.
3. Next year, you can decide whether you want them to continue to lay thru winter, or take a break. I don't try to induce laying. I believe that it stresses the chickens and that I'll get inferior eggs if I try to force things. I have a mixed flock so some lay all winter and some don't. It's part of the beauty of nature. I live about 60 miles south of the Canada border and some of mine are still laying with no supplemental light or heat. Nature is amazing in it's diversity.
4. Chickens like to lay where other chickens have already placed an egg. Putting a "dummy" egg where you would like them to lay might help you find the eggs when they do start laying. This can be a ceramic egg from the feed store, a plastic Easter egg or a golf ball. There are good articles on this site that describe where chickens like to lay. Usually it's a quiet, dim, private place. Just when you think you've got it figured out, someone will lay in the middle of the bright, flat floor. Nature.

 

[oldwynooche]

Also, new layers don't always get it right the first few times. Sometimes the very first eggs are missing a part, like the shell or the yolk. Don't worry, it'll get sorted out within a week or two.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Shoulda gotten Australorps.

 

[David61]

Two eggs a day now out of 13 new girls with ten of them squatting. Barred rock and RI Red were on the nest laying this morning. a few days ago i upped my feed. I put some calf mana pro and sweet feed in with the flock raiser crumble. Also fresh oyster shell. The combs and waddles are beet red and full. I'm going to tell my buyers to be ready soon and save the egg cartons.