When do hens born in late June begin to lay eggs?

[clickncluck]

I have 4 speckled Sussex hens that are 22 weeks old. I realize that with the shorter days they may not lay soon, but I’m getting impatient. My other SS hens had laid when they were 19 weeks. How much longer do you think it will be? We are at 11 hours of sunlight now. But in Hawai‘i even in June the days aren’t longer than 13 ½ hours of sunlight.

 

[SueT]

I have 4 speckled Sussex hens that are 22 weeks old. I realize that with the shorter days they may not lay soon, but I’m getting impatient. My other SS hens had laid when they were 19 weeks. How much longer do you think it will be? We are at 11 hours of sunlight now. But in Hawai‘i even in June the days aren’t longer than 13 ½ hours of sunlight.

My SS last year, hatched end of May, waited till spring. She hasn't slowed down yet this fall, even during molt, and days are about 10 hours visible light here now. It's anybody's guess....let us know! You could lengthen the daylight by turning on a light early each morning.....

 

[aart]

The Hawaii aspect is interesting.
I think it's the change(increasing or decreasing) in light as much as or instead of the duration of light.
IIRC @Ridgerunner had a write up/explanation on light in Hawaii.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Aart you may enjoy reading this. I bet @ChickenCanoe already has. I’ll pull an excerpt and give a link.

Another mutation that resulted from selective breeding is in the TSHR (thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor) gene. In wild animals this gene coordinates reproduction with day length, confining breeding to specific seasons. The mutation disabling this gene enables chickens to breed—and lay eggs—all year long.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-chicken-conquered-the-world-87583657/

There are still other mitigating factors, such as days getting shorter or longer and the molt. The longer the day the more time a chicken has to eat and digest enough nutrition to form an egg. I’m sure there are many other factors, such as genetics. Chickens bred to lay more usually lay more. These things are always complicated, but at least this lays to bed actual day length being a hugely important factor.

The basic answer to when they will lay is when you see an egg providing they aren’t hiding a nest from you. They are all individuals. I’ve had some start to lay at 16 weeks, I’ve had some start to lay at 9 months. Breeds have general tendencies but you have to have enough for averages to mean much. One or two chickens is not enough.

Sorry, but no one can tell you when any individual pullet will start to lay.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@Ridgerunner thanks for the link. I had not seen it, but a couple years ago for Christmas, my daughter wanted to buy me a book on chickens. She told the bookstore that I already knew everything about chickens so they suggested and she bought "Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? The epic saga of the bird that powers civilization" by Andrew Lawler.
It is great and though I knew some of the historical stuff, it was a wonderful read I thoroughly enjoyed.
https://www.amazon.com/Why-Did-Chic...&keywords=why+did+the+chicken+cross+the+world

As for when the SS will lay, it may still be after the winter solstice. I have experience with birds closer to the equator than where I live - in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Costa Rica but they are still guided by whether day length is increasing or decreasing.
I have a friend in Puerto Rico and even though it is in the 80s there and there is little change in day length compared to here, his birds are all molting right now. He has 11 hours, 14 minutes of day light now.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I just don't know how chickens perform ON the equator.

 

[AUChickenGal]

My June pullets are 23 weeks old and started laying this week. Hopefully yours won’t be too far behind!

 

[aart]

My June pullets are 23 weeks old and started laying this week. Hopefully yours won’t be too far behind!

Am confused.....your screen name(AU) implies your are in Australia,
but your location says AL(Alabama).
So is it winter or summer where you are?
Congrats in your layer, my last pullet(late May chick) started laying this week too, finally!

 

[AUChickenGal]

Am confused.....your screen name(AU) implies your are in Australia,
but your location says AL(Alabama).
So is it winter or summer where you are?
Congrats in your layer, my last pullet(late May chick) started laying this week too, finally!

Sorry; I forget that not everyone lives in football-obsessed college towns. The “AU” in my screen name is for Auburn University, where I work. So, yes, it is very much fall down here. I need to go out and check pelvic points today to be sure, but I have either two or three out of the four chicks that hatched June 12th who are laying (a RIR for sure, and then a Delaware and/or an Australorp). Their Salmon Faverolles hatch mate is, not surprisingly, not quite ready yet.

Glad that your May chick finally started laying! I also have two July chicks; I won’t be surprised if they wait until after the first of the year to get going.

 

[aart]

The “AU” in my screen name is for Auburn University, where I work.

Ohhhhhh!