What is the reality?

[ChickenLady♡]

Sorry - long post.

I have 10 hens ranging in age from 7 months to about 10 months. They hatched around September (some a little earlier, some a little later).

I get 3 to 4 eggs a day.

I had two who were laying by mid-March. They are my only blue egg layers so I can keep track of them easily. They have laid an egg each on most days since. I thought everyone was about to start laying in mid-March as well because most of their combs got really red and several started squatting. I know two DID start laying because I saw them, heard them and collected their (brown) eggs.

Since then we went away for 6 weeks and a friend chicken sat for us. They collected around 4 eggs a day - on a couple of days they said they got 6 or 7 so someone else must have started.

So, my question is - lot's of people say their chickens will start laying at 20-24 weeks. Our chooks are now nearer 36 weeks and evidently still not laying. Is that quite normal?
Our chooks are not hatchery birds - some are breeder quality heritage birds (australorp, RIR, sussex) and a couple of heritage mixes (wyandotte x).

We are in Australia and we have just shifted in to some much colder weather, with lots of rain and it's getting dark early. I know that plays a part but will that really put a stop to someone starting to lay? Even if they had already laid an egg or two? I'm still not sure who is currently laying - the two (brown eggs) who started before we went away are not necessarily the ones laying now. I've seen others in the nest box instead. The two blue egg layers (araucana x leghorn) are real troopers and keep on laying most days.

I am thinking now that I will probably have to wait until Spring (maybe August!!) until everyone gets their act together and starts laying consistently. Does that sound likely?
I love my girls to bits but I think it's time they pulled their weight!

 

[so lucky]

Have you considered putting a light in their coop, to add a couple hours of daylight to their days?
Also, I am wondering if some critter could be getting the eggs on a regular basis. Snake, opossum, dog? Maybe the mystery critter makes an early run, and the blue eggers lay later in the day?
Do you hear several of them doing the "I laid an egg" song? I know that is not fool-proof, as I have had some that sing "She laid an egg"

 

[Ribh]

Sorry, but not everyone is going to lay through winter & you are colder & darker than we are [up Brissie way]. My Australorps have been off the lay for @ least 2 months already & 1 is having a really heavy molt. Not expecting to see an egg from either of them till spring. My BRs are still laying consistently [they are winter layers] & I have an Australorp bantam laying ~ & perhaps 1 other although I have 10 POLs. Some breeds are slower to come on the lay than others. Apart from BAs I have no experience with the breeds you have.

 

[ChickenLady♡]

Have you considered putting a light in their coop, to add a couple hours of daylight to their days?
Also, I am wondering if some critter could be getting the eggs on a regular basis. Snake, opossum, dog? Maybe the mystery critter makes an early run, and the blue eggers lay later in the day?
Do you hear several of them doing the "I laid an egg" song? I know that is not fool-proof, as I have had some that sing "She laid an egg"

Their coop and run is critter proof and i check at least twice a day so I'm pretty sure nothing is getting in. They free range in our yard during the day - I've done searches for any mystery spots in case someone has decided to lay elsewhere but there aren't any I can see. I hear a couple of egg songs but these are the girls I am pretty sure of.

 

[ChickenLady♡]

Sorry, but not everyone is going to lay through winter & you are colder & darker than we are [up Brissie way]. My Australorps have been off the lay for @ least 2 months already & 1 is having a really heavy molt. Not expecting to see an egg from either of them till spring. My BRs are still laying consistently [they are winter layers] & I have an Australorp bantam laying ~ & perhaps 1 other although I have 10 POLs. Some breeds are slower to come on the lay than others. Apart from BAs I have no experience with the breeds you have.

Thanks, I think I might have to accept they've gone off the boil (even though they never really got to a full boil!) until we get through winter. I had one gorgeous BR girl who unfortunately died at about 20 weeks, but I'm really keen to have another one so that will be on my wish list. Maybe next year.

 

[Ribh]

Thanks, I think I might have to accept they've gone off the boil (even though they never really got to a full boil!) until we get through winter. I had one gorgeous BR girl who unfortunately died at about 20 weeks, but I'm really keen to have another one so that will be on my wish list. Maybe next year.

Not sure what your summer temps are but my BRs spent all summer going broody. I was blaming the heat a lot as keeping everyone cool was something of a mammoth effort. They are really making up for it now as no~one else amongst my standards is laying.