Spring Chickens Holding out

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

So i had a mixed hatch of chickens that are now 28 weeks old and none of them have started to lay. Light Brahma, lavender orphington, welsummer, and Easter egger. I realize that egg laying has dropped since the days are shorter but this seems really long! Last years chickens were born about a month earlier but the last one of that group started by early October.

Any thoughts? The breeds look like late maturing hens but it seems longer.

and some of my older hens decided to molt. Right after i thought they were all done molting!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You nailed it. May hatched chicks will likely to be slow to mature sexually due to declining day length. I usually don't do it with hens in subsequent years but for pullets that should be at POL, I will start adding light to the coop to increase day length by about 30 minutes or so each week. They will all kick start about the same time then.
Otherwise, we are about a month from winter solstice. If you do nothing, expect eggs in January or February at the latest. Till you get eggs, stick with starter/grower/all flock feed since the excess calcium in the layer won't do them any favors.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The pelvic check will tell you if your lighting program is working.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[aart]

Yeah, my 26wo's are holding out too....combs look good and red, haven't checked pelvic spacing in a few weeks.
They've got ~12 hrs of light too......hens are about done molting so gonna start increasing light here soon.

 

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

Yeah, my 26wo's are holding out too....combs look good and red, haven't checked pelvic spacing in a few weeks.
They've got ~12 hrs of light too......hens are about done molting so gonna start increasing light here soon.

Their combs are not full and red yet. And i don’t generally supply any artificial light. I will have to read up on it. We do not have electric in our coop at this time so anything i need out there has to be solar and battery.

 

[aart]

We do not have electric in our coop at this time so anything i need out there has to be solar and battery.

You'll just have to wait then
Solar and battery are not suitable for the timed lighting needed for winter laying.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are a couple ways to use solar for the task. The cheapest is to run some LEDs off of a battery powered by a small solar panel with a dusk to dawn switch without a timer and just let it run after it gets dark till it runs out of juice. While not ideal, that is the cheapest way to do it. Otherwise a larger panel and battery, then use a timer to route power to the LEDs.

 

[aart]

While not ideal, that is the cheapest way to do it.

That could backfire tho.....not worth the 'cheap', IMO.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Agreed. I was just thinking out loud. Lots of people are on very tight budgets.

 

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

You'll just have to wait then
Solar and battery are not suitable for the timed lighting needed for winter laying.

I have always taken a more hands off approach. I feel like if i get a few eggs over the winter great. Last winter i dropped only very slightly. I had 13 girls laying 5-6 eggs daily. Now that have 15 hens laying 1 a day. And then a random 3. I will wait it out for sure. I just figured the spring layers would have joined in by now.