Seriously, 30 weeks and no eggs?

[OKbirdwatcher]

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Yep. And it's getting more expensive to feed them too.

Good thing they're so much fun to have around.

(Getting 0-3/day from 8 mature hens. They have molted the past 6-8 weeks, but didn't lay much better during spring and summer.

)

 

[TexGardenGirl]

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No offense taken at all.

I did take my chicks off medicated chick starter around 12 weeks but fed them grower food until about twenty weeks old. I wanted to keep thier protien intake up and still not offer the additional calcium in the layer food. I have also supplemented their feed with game bird food to increase the protien intake as well. I just mixed some of the game food in with the grower food. I started them on the layer food at 20 weeks in case they did start laying around that time and needed the calcium. I know quite a few people on here that just feed the grower food for the additional protien and because they have flocks with birds that are all different ages. All they do differently is offer oyster shell free choice for the pullets/hens that need it.

Also not an expert here, but I've seen basically the same advice in several places: Get them off the medicated feed (if you use it at all) by 8-12 weeks, then feed grower feed (or some brands have a starter-grower and a grower-finisher - it should say on the bag what the recommended ages are) until they start laying, then switch to layer. I've read several places that the extra calcium damages the development of their reproductive system, and since that's what makes the eggs we want it to be healthy! (I do not know in what way it damages the reproductive system - I'd love to know if someone has the answer.) I've also seen many people who go ahead and switch to layer at 18-20 weeks on the theory that they're basically developed by then.

 

[harley]

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I too am very disappointed in my pullets. Have about sixty and only a few are starting to lay. One thing for sure it has cost me way more than its been worth. If those girls dont start some serious laying within the next few weeks thay may just become meat for the freezer. Its been about 25 weeks for me now.
When i first started raising chickens i got black sex links, some times called black stars, and they started laying within 4 months and have been laying every since then. There were days i got 100 precent production but most of the time it's between 60 and 80 precent which i consider great.
They are about year and half now and i can see a big change in the egg production but its still better than any other chicken i own. Feel sure this coming year i want purchase any thing other than black sex links.
Now they arent very big hens so not much meat on them if you are wanting them for meat.
Another good one, in my opinion, is plymouth rocks. They lay great. I have several different breeds but think in the future i am going to stick with black sex links based on my experience.
Have a great day. Hope egg production picks up for all of us
Harley

 

[trunkman]

They must be getting real close tho, keep us posted when they do start laying.

 

[Lyon3mchics]

My girls are atleast 25 weeks and I got my first eggs today.

 

[HHandbasket]

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Pullets that were hatched in spring mature in the late autumn as the length of day shortens. The best bet is to let them have only natural light, which will trigger maturity at the proper time and avoid some serious egg-laying problems later on. Pullets hatched from April through July should not be exposed to artificially-lengthened days (i.e., coop lights). This according to Gail Damerow of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens. The decreasing length of the natural day will trigger the physical maturity of pullets (combs, wattles, eggs).

I get so confused. That is the exact opposite of everything else I've read on BYC and in books. I've read in a couple of places that if they don't start laying by the time the days shorten and you don't extend their daylight hours with a coop light, they won't lay until the following spring and could get eggbound because of the delay.

Now I don't know whether to keep the coop light on or not. I'm more confused than ever because I don't want to mess up my chickens by giving them more light than they need (per your suggestion), but on the other hand, I don't want them to get prone to being eggbound because they aren't showing any signs of laying anytime soon & everything else I've read has said to keep the coop light on. You should see the effort my DH went through to run electrical conduit out to the henhouse & everything.

And I'm disappointed in my girls this morning anyway. Out of 6 girls, we have gotten a grand total of 3 eggs in the past week. Someone was out there singing the egg song & sounding like they were making the "announcement", but it was just the BR who has been singing the song for about 2, maybe 2-1/2 weeks now. She still has no comb, no wattles, and is only pink in the face at 30 weeks so I think she's just being suddenly vocal and faking us out. LOL.

 

[swimmer]

Handbasket, if you feel you need to go with the lights, do what you think is best. My pullets are around 23 weeks and I put light in my coop. How would that differ than if you had some pullets at the same age, but in June? Would the long days mess up there maturing having the long June days? I'd say if you have a light on, leave it the way you have it. Not saying what I'm doing is right, but stick to what you have been doing. Changing things now would probably do more harm than good. Good luck and hope you get some eggs soon. I'm waiting and waiting. I was outside this afternoon and my Welsummer was making so much noise. I'm thinking she might be close and was practicing her egg song. Who knows. I'm sure we'll get eggs when we are least expecting them. Probably during our next snow storm.

 

[new chick 203]

Ok, It's a month later and still no eggs. The five range from 23- 34 weeks. They all seem very happy and healthy. They have a large clean run and live a pretty stress free life. Should I just not expect anything till spring at this point? What's wrong.

 

[HHandbasket]

I'm as dumbfounded as you are! My girls are about 32 weeks now. Barred rock is STILL singing the egg song (didn't realize how long it had been going on until I re-read this thread just now LOL) but still no eggs. That being said, though, she DID start squatting for us a couple of days ago which has been a source of great excitement around here! She also went into the nesting box just this morning and rearranged literally everything in there so I'm thinking sometime this week!

The RIR and wellie, though... they're still just clucking around the yard and freeloadin'. Wellie's about 30 weeks, RIR is 32-33 weeks. RIR is looking real red in the face and starting developing wattles this past week, though (same with the BR, but only the BR is squatting). We've been making jokes that our 20-week-old mutt chicken may lay before the "big girls" do.

 

[new chick 203]

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That sounds promising! my girls don't seem to have noticed they have nest boxes.