should they be laying now?

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
At what age for laying pellets?? I've read 16 weeks and have heard, just wait?????????????????? Oh so many options, which is right?

Actually this is a blast!!

We switched all of ours over to lay pellets around 16-18 weeks. We figure that as soon as they lay, they'll need the lay pellets. Plus, not all will be laying at the same time, so there will still be some that are on the pellets and not laying...so what's the difference? Lay pellets are not a hormone feed to cause them to lay, but rather a feed that is nutritionally designed to provide the bird with the nutrients that they lose to the egg while laying. Roos can be on lay pellets as well (all of ours are) and they don't start becoming feminine from it. Think of it like a non-pregnant person taking all those prenatal vitamins. It doesn't make them get pregnant, right? Some docs recommend taking the prenatal vitamins before pregnancy so that they are in the system when pregnancy does occur. It's the same thing.

Hope this helps!

Also...regarding the laying. We have had some that starting laying at 16 weeks and a bunch that haven't laid yet at 21 weeks old. It depends on the breed. My Jersey Giants and Buckeyes probably won't lay until they are between to 24-30 weeks old.

 

[Eggie and Me]

Thanks BarkerChickens... All of this makes perfectly good sense...

 

[NarleevilleClucks]

I know mine will b alte layers just because I'm dying to stop buying eggs at the chemical market! They don't even have nearly as red waddles as some of the pics I see on here....they'll punish me for sure!

 

[Eggie and Me]

Know what you mean Narleeville...................... It kills me to buy those nasty chemical eggs.... AND to pay $3.00+ for a dozen geeze louise, ouch... Best of luck to you and your flock... Hoping you get tons of really good eggs................

 

[MIKE555444]

I'd love to see pics

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
You are very welcome!

 

[JessicaAndHerChickens]

I have 4 hens. Two are NHR and two are RIR. I have one 1 gallon waterer and a 7 lb feeder. The feeder doesnt always go empty, sometimes it lasts two days. The waterer gets emptied almost every day. Sometimes I have to fill it twice a day. I may have to get another waterer, never thought of that...duh! It has been hot here in North Carolina (90s, almost 100) so maybe that has been hindering them to start laying also. I am going to get another waterer. Thanks for all the responses!

 

[skeeter03]

Mine are about 18 weeks and no laying yet either. a few are getting the bigger combs and wattles though so heres hoping. I was told that expect eggs between 4-6 mnths of age but the waiting is sooooo hard.

 

[underground chickenman]

Don't know whether they should be laying or not, as all chickens, including those of the same breed, have a wide range of normal laying ages.

I do know one thing for certain: you need a bigger waterer. You should never run out of water. If you are cutting it that close under fairly ordinary circumstances, what would happen if you are delayed for a much longer period of time, including overnight? I have a 5 gallon waterer for 8 hens and I rarely let it get below 1/2 full so there is always at least a day's reserve in case something really out of the ordinary occurs. Always gotta be ready for the proverbial bus!

BTW, of my 8 heavy breed hens of the exact same age, the first one laid at 16 weeks and the 7th just started laying at almost 27 weeks and the 8th has not laid yet, but she will any day now. Even hens of the same breed were separated by a month or more.

UGCM

 

[Dixiedoodle]

My girls are 23 weeks old and NOT one egg, yet! I swore I wasn't going to buy groc. store eggs again and I had to break down and buy them yesterday... BUT I swear, I am not going to buy them again!!!