when will my girls start laying

[boxer62]

I have 12 americanas 5.5 months old when will they start laying nothing yet

 

[AlleysChicks]

Probably next spring. Mine turn 9 months old tomorrow and no eggs.

 

[FeatherstoneFrm]

I have 3 9 month old, 2 laying and 1 not, and 3 6 month olds, not laying. I've given up on new layers until spring. I also have an older hen that as given to me. They said she was laying but hasn't yet for me. She is molting now so again not expecting anything until spring.

 

[TXChickenFarmer01]

We have 2 EEs, two BA and 2 RIR. one of the EEers has been laying for 2 weeks and one of the RIRs laid her first egg today! I assumed we wouldn't get any until Spring but here they are!

 

[KinnaChickie]

WELL I KNOW THAT RIR LAY YEAR ROUND. AS FOR YOURS, I HAVE A FEW TOO AND THEY MOST DEFINITELY WONT LAY UNTIL SPRING. WINTER TIME IS THEIR "DOWN" TIME. DONT BE DISCOURAGED THOUGH, ONCE THEY START YOU WILL ENJOY THE REWARDS. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE IN ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AS WELL TO KEEP THEM LAYING IN WINTER, BUT I PERSONAL DONT DO THAT TO MINE. I ALLOW NATURE TO TAKE ITS COURSE AND LET THEM HAVE THEIR MOULTING TIME AND REST. WOULD LOVE TO SEE PICTURES THOUGH. CAN YA POST THEM?

 

[aart]

I have 12 americanas 5.5 months old when will they start laying nothing yet

Average age for onset of lay is 18-28 weeks.
Time of year and diet can have an influence.
Here's some tips on how to tell....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Welcome to BYC!
Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[GC-Raptor]

My 7 Barred Rocks are 15 weeks. . I'm hoping they start to lay in the middle of January around 22 weeks with the increasing daylight.
My first Flock of Golden Comets, early spring chicks, Started to lay at 4 months.
The Barred Rocks are my first late summer Chicks, so no experience here. GC

 

[Doc7]

My barred rock started laying at 26W and last night I found my first eggs from Easter Egger at 27W.
These are June 4 chicks. The BR has only missed one day in the last 8 days!
Still waiting on New Hampshire red, Buff orp, Delaware, Partridge Rock.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My barred rock started laying at 26W and last night I found my first eggs from Easter Egger at 27W.
These are June 4 chicks. The BR has only missed one day in the last 8 days!
Still waiting on New Hampshire red, Buff orp, Delaware, Partridge Rock.

I add light at 5am, for both coops. . Do you add light? GC

 

[Ridgerunner]

Where are you, north or south of the equator? As Aart said location is important for a lot of things, including this. Modifying your profile to include that always makes it available.

When will your Ameraucana lay? Basically when they do. To me whether yours are true Ameraucana or Easter Eggers doesn't really make any dfifference. They can still start laying any time.

I once got designer Ameraucana eggs to hatch from a breeder to make sure I got the blue egg gene. Those hatched in March but did not start to lay under the first week of December. That was about the shortest days of the year and still getting shorter. They were nine months old and I did not use lights or anything else to manipulate them into laying. I've had that experience with other breeds that were more production breeds.

I don't know why that happens. It's not purely heredity as most of their offspring normally start to lay around 5 to 6 months of age.

The length of the days enters into it, diet enters into it. I'm sure heredity does have an effect. But some of them are just weird. If you are north of the equator it is certainly possible they will wait until the days start to get longer or the weather starts to warm up in the spring. But don't stop checking , you just never know.