When do Lohmann Brown hens start laying?

[New Chick Love]

Does anyone here know when Lohmann Browns start laying? I have four lovely girls (about 15 weeks) and have heard they begin laying between 16 and 19 weeks. Is this true at this time of the year? I haven't added any light source to my shed / coop area but may do so because its dark now from 6pm to 7am and we lose another hour of light starting tomorrow. I don't want to push them to lay but its so dark in the shed that I need a flashlight to clean the coop and feed the girls. I would like to add a bit of light for us all! I don't really know what to expect and any advice would be appreciated- thank you!

 

[Fred's Hens]

No we don't lose another hour tomorrow!!! LOL. The whole daylight savings time thing is man made. The sun will rise and set the same time it did today, minus the normal loss of a minute or two.

These commercial brown layers do indeed start laying around 18-19 weeks, but the lack of sunlight hours this time of year is tough. They don't need much help to lay well all winter long. Just a couple hours of pre-dawn light and they'll well for you. Rest assured. Use a timer and have the light come on at 5 am and go off at 8 am and they'll be just fine. It is better to "click" a tooth on the timer each day. In other words, add 15 minutes each day. After 8 days, you'll have increased their light 2 hours. That is the way the commercial hen houses do it.

 

[New Chick Love]

It sure feels like we lose an hour!!! haha! Our winters are so long and dark here!
Thanks so much for filling me in on the laying age and I'll think about the lighting set up you described. I do want eggs this winter but I don't really want to push them to lay like they would in a Commercial Hatchery set up. Like a lot of newbies I didn't realize they were commercial layers when I bought them. No matter, they are real sweethearts and I want them to have the best life possible!