When will my chickens lay after winter

[rcockerham]

Just wondering when my hens will start laying again. They quit laying this winter bc we didn't give them light.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They say they need 14 hours of light for laying, but I don't know the answer to your question. There are so many variables.

 

[fatcatx]

No tried and true answer as the breed, their age, and where you live all play their part. What is the breed and age?

We have DP breeds that lay a bit in winter but 3 of our 4 just came into lay in January at 32-38 weeks old. As the days are getting longer now, they are ramping it up. We are up to almost 12 hour days and the last two weeks we got 22 eggs each week from our 4 ladies. As this is their first year, I expect egg production will be on the high side then taper off.

If you can connect with someone in your state that has your breed, they could give you a better idea of what to expect.

Edited to add: We do not give light either. I prefer to give them some time off and hope they will lay more in their 3rd to 5th years.

 

[rcockerham]

I have americanas and they are about 8 months old. It's starting to warm up now it's like in the 40's but I don't see much sign of them ready to lay. I have them on layer feed, scratch and oyster shells tht the hens can get to if they need it

 

[fatcatx]

The temperature does not matter as much as the daylight. Since they shut-down completely for winter, I imagine it will take them another month or two to get geared up again, depending on your state, but that is just an educated guess. How many hours of daylight are you getting at this point? I know I am getting almost an hour more of daylight than my relatives in Washington right now so location plays a big role.

If you pose this question in the Easter Egger forum (or do a search of it) you may find an approximate answer.