Tips to help my buff orpingtons lay eggs!!

[ashrich6]

Hey everyone,

I have 4 buff orpington hens who are about 27 weeks old. I have yet to see an egg!! When will they start laying? They are on laying feed and have wonderful nesting boxes. I have put golf balls in their laying nests to give them a hint. Any other suggestions??

Thank you!!

-Asha

 

[sunflour]

Are they showing any signs yet…squat, red wattles, combs? And I assume they are girls.

There is nothing that can be done til they are ready to lay. One of mine was a late bloomer, searched and found one post of someone's BO who didn't lay first egg til 6 months old.

 

[ashrich6]

No squatting yet (at least I haven't noticed). But their wattles and combs are red. I'm guessing they are late bloomers?

 

[Peep_Show]

It may be a long wait....Chickens need 14 hours of light to trigger laying.

 

[sunflour]

Last winter mine were in their first year and laid all thru the winter without supplemental light, but they all had laid first egg by September.

There was a recent thread on the same subject giving some other opinions.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/935032/will-young-hens-lay-first-eggs-in-winter

 

[shmeggs]

we have 12 buff orpingtons , they are laying regular now. we got them in early march. they started laying at 27 weeks old.