What time do chickens lay eggs??

[Micky B]

They are considered point of lay by 20 weeks of age. My hens also lay there first couple of eggs outside (they are free-range in a large 10 x 20m camp with an open coop) - until they realised that they have wonderful little nests inside the coop. Mine taught themselves so to speak. As for what TIME they lay eggs, it differs from hen to hen. My Orpingtons and Ovambos are usually the early birds and I'd have at least one egg by 6:30. The leghorns and Potch Koekoes are a bit lazier and would lay late morning and brood on them until noon. It is also weather dependant and I've noticed my hens lay less eggs and a bit later now that it is winter in our part of the world.

 

[bruceha2000]

Last year I bought most of my chicks in late february, early March and they laid for a bit but by November the eggs were slowing and slowing. So I sold most of my flock. Keeping only 4 hens, and those 4 hens didn't lay one single egg until late february this year. So what I want is one hatch some chicks that will be coming into lay right as the egg weather hits. Also one thing I'm starting to wonder about, I don't think I've had a chicken molt yet. I have one hen that is 2, and the others are about a year and a half, so unless they very very slowly and unnoticeably molted this winter it just hasn't happened. Lol.

Very odd. What breed(s) of chickens? I was figuring when I decide to add to the flock that I would get them in March so they would have a few more months the lay.

Slacking from Nov to mid/late Feb is normal. I think it is related to the amount of light and if you think about it, the temps and amount of forage food is pretty minimal, especially in cold areas so it makes sense the chickens wouldn't naturally be hatching chicks then. If they wait until late February, the chicks would hatch mid March when things (and the light) are picking up in a lot of climates. How have the 4 been laying since they started back up? I would expect them to be doing well now.

They USUALLY moult in the fall, starting with the first fall after they are a year old so only the 2 year old would have moulted last fall. There was NO question when mine were moulting. They didn't all go at once but I'd notice a tail getting scrawnier and then see more feathers around in general. I watched one chicken running through the yard dropping tail feathers. Cubalaya have long 'down' tails and are really sad looking with no tail feathers. After a bit the poor moulting chickens looked like they had been badly plucked, all messy.

Bruce

 

[missnu01]

My oldest is a barnyard bantam, then 2 salmon faverolles, and then a slightly younger EE hen. But I got not one egg from any of them all winter long

 

[MarcoPollo]

MarcoPollo,
Thanks for the words of encouragement!! I just LOVE your ID!! It's SO cool!! I'm Hispanic so naturally I LOVE the "pollo"!! HOW creative!! Thanks again also for the nice compliment!!

Well, I cannot take the credit for that. MarcoPollo was on a chik-fil-a sign I saw once while driving through Florida. There were the classic chik-fil-a cows in a small swimming pool and it said marco! pollo!! I thought it was brilliant! LOL

 

[DarleneE]

I LOVE it!! Very CUTE!!

 

[bruceha2000]

My oldest is a barnyard bantam, then 2 salmon faverolles, and then a slightly younger EE hen. But I got not one egg from any of them all winter long

Seems about right! One of my Favs laid 1 egg between 10/6 and 2/14. The other did pretty well other than 3 weeks in Jan/Feb. One EE moulted in mid Sep, hadn't laid an egg in a week, and didn't start again until 2/16. She is the one that was taken by a predator in April. The other EE moulted early Oct and started up again on 2/13.

The lack of winter eggs from chickens that have gone through fall twice is pretty normal. There are breeds that are supposed to be better at laying in the winter. Or you can "force" the ones you have by lying to them about what time of year it is. I think their bodies determine that by the amount of daylight, not temperature. If you want to do this, have a timer turn the 'sun' on at 4 am through the winter. That should give them 12 hours or more of light each day. My understanding is that it doesn't need to be a bright light, just enough for them to think the sun is up.

Bruce

 

[katekearby]

Seems about right! One of my Favs laid 1 egg between 10/6 and 2/14. The other did pretty well other than 3 weeks in Jan/Feb. One EE moulted in mid Sep, hadn't laid an egg in a week, and didn't start again until 2/16. She is the one that was taken by a predator in April. The other EE moulted early Oct and started up again on 2/13.

The lack of winter eggs from chickens that have gone through fall twice is pretty normal. There are breeds that are supposed to be better at laying in the winter. Or you can "force" the ones you have by lying to them about what time of year it is. I think their bodies determine that by the amount of daylight, not temperature. If you want to do this, have a timer turn the 'sun' on at 4 am through the winter. That should give them 12 hours or more of light each day. My understanding is that it doesn't need to be a bright light, just enough for them to think the sun is up.

Bruce

Speaking of light, I was told that when the daylight hit 16 hours a day the pullets would start laying. (one of the new girls was setting and messing with a fake egg this morning?) Anyway, it was also suggested that the reason the older girls all hung out squished into the door of the coop at night was because there's a yard light and it was way to dark in the coop. We drilled a small hole and inserted a yard type little solar light in it. It's very mild light and doesn't stay on all night, do you think that's ok? I still don't think the older girls are getting much away from their door?

 

[missnu01]

My oldest is a barnyard bantam, then 2 salmon faverolles, and then a slightly younger EE hen. But I got not one egg from any of them all winter long

Seems about right! One of my Favs laid 1 egg between 10/6 and 2/14. The other did pretty well other than 3 weeks in Jan/Feb. One EE moulted in mid Sep, hadn't laid an egg in a week, and didn't start again until 2/16. She is the one that was taken by a predator in April. The other EE moulted early Oct and started up again on 2/13.

The lack of winter eggs from chickens that have gone through fall twice is pretty normal. There are breeds that are supposed to be better at laying in the winter. Or you can "force" the ones you have by lying to them about what time of year it is. I think their bodies determine that by the amount of daylight, not temperature. If you want to do this, have a timer turn the 'sun' on at 4 am through the winter. That should give them 12 hours or more of light each day. My understanding is that it doesn't need to be a bright light, just enough for them to think the sun is up.

Bruce

that is my plan for this winter. That way like I said I can hatch chick's in winter and have them laying when spring comes. Then I can sell pullets at point of lay. While everyone else is selling day olds. And so I can figure out who I want to keep come winter time.

 

[Chicken-Man]

My rhoad island red bantam hen last December (2013) and was told her age (but I cant remember now) and no matter what age she told me, this all happened 5 months ago, and she was aprox 2-3 months (by memory) when I got her. Is something wrong!!?? I got a silkie hen the same day and she has been laying for 2 months (ish) now. This RIRbantam is like 8 months old now!!!!
I thought the normal laying hen starts at 5 months.....

what going on?????

 

[ochochicas]

My rhoad island red bantam hen last December (2013) and was told her age (but I cant remember now) and no matter what age she told me, this all happened 5 months ago, and she was aprox 2-3 months (by memory) when I got her. Is something wrong!!?? I got a silkie hen the same day and she has been laying for 2 months (ish) now. This RIRbantam is like 8 months old now!!!!
I thought the normal laying hen starts at 5 months.....

what going on?????

Are you sure she's a hen? Also, she may not be getting enough calcium or other vitamins which is causing her to not lay. Maybe she need more lighting???