what age ameraucana lay?

[klf73]

I was just curious at what age was the LATEST anyone had a true ameraucana lay? I thought about putting this in chicken egglaying section, but it is breed specific, so IDK

. I am just hoping it is too cold for my girls to start and once it gets warm they are gonna be egg laying machines

 

[pips&peeps]

I would say 23-26 weeks. When you have fall babies they usually start to lay later just because of the lack of light and the cold weather.

Their little bodies are using up their energy to keep warm. Reproduction is not high on the priority list.

 

[klf73]

I figured that....my 4 mutts are giving me 1 egg a day, except for the one *warm* day we had a few days ago I got 4. I am just hoping they are waiting for warm weather, they are almost 30 weeks. My blue wheaten hen has been checking out the nest for weeks and the silvers just look every now and then......

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I am still waiting for one of my 45 week old Ameraucanas to lay her first egg. Her sister has been laying for a very long time.

 

[klf73]

Quote:
oh, don't tell me that

 

[sara]

Some of my girls have taken forever to start..

 

[Mahonri]

I had two that didn't start laying until almost 30 weeks and then one gave me a brown egg and the other a navajo white. OBVIOUSLY NOT Ameraucanas!

I'm not expecting an egg from our little Blue Lucy (got her from Jean) for at least another 3 months. She is finally starting to eat well and loves to spend time outside on the grass. It took her over a week to get her legs back after being on the airplane from Washington to AZ.

Even my wife thinks that the two of them are beautiful. THANKS JEAN you are a doll!!!!

(Also, poop is normal now and they are growing!... I'm going to try and get some protien in them... they seem to only like grower crumbles or mash that is slightly wet and they do pick through scratch... will introduce them to the flock on the 17th.)

 

[Tailfeathers]

I noticed there is one big piece of information missing from the question and none of the answers and that is, "Are they continually on at least 14 hours of light?"

Speckled, I'd be quite concerned about a bird that hasn't laid in 45 weeks when my others are. I'd say something is wrong there.

My pullets from last year started laying one day short of 25 weeks.

God Bless,

 

[speckledhen]

Tailfeathers, I do not add supplemental light, so they are on a natural rhythm. Most of my last group began laying before 30 weeks, except my banty Cochin who just began this week at about 40 weeks and my splash Ameraucana.

 

[klf73]

I don't add light either. I was told by a *chicken farmer* that his birds were healthier and laid for longer when left to go on their *natural* cycle, that they needed the rest....
I don't know how much truth is to this, but I really don't have a way to add light now where I put my coop

Since my layers are barely laying I will just chalk it up to the VERY cold winter we are having....