Why aren't my chickens laying?

[alienalex]

Hello Everyone

I am new on here and wanted to try and figure out why my chickens aren't laying.....

I had done some research and they had told me that it may be things that they are missing in there food, so what I ended up doing was switching from the food I was giving them to nutrena layer feed... I also added oyster shells and grit, and they have a separate bowl for their scratch. I occasionally let them out in the fenced yard and they peck around and enjoy the sun, other than that they pretty much stay in the coop. The weather is getting colder and I am just wondering if thats what may be slowing them down or is there something else that I may be missing?

Sorry if this has been answered but I am not even sure how old these chickens are so don't know really where to start or how to determine if there is something wrong.... they are about 5-7 month

 

[11mini]

I wouldn't count on getting many eggs before spring - The timing is wrong, your birds are probably younger (4-5 months) and would be coming into laying age over the winter when they normally either don't lay at all or only lay a few. My Gold Comet hasn't laid an egg in over a week.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They're not sexually mature. The combs and wattles aren't large enough or red enough to be at point of lay.
Go back to the grower feed. They aren't ready for the 4% calcium in layer.
When you do provide oyster shell and grit, put them in separate containers.
Scratch can be thrown on the ground so they can "scratch" for it.
Scratch shouldn't be more than 5-10% of the diet.
Birds approaching POL in autumn take longer to lay.

 

[alienalex]

Awesome,

Thanks for the help

So I should switch back to grow feed?

is there anything I should do for them i'm in zone 8b and receive some snow

should I add a light to there coop..

or

should I bring them in?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Don't worry about the cold. It is strictly a day length issue. Adding light to reach 12-14 hours of light would be recommended but judging by their combs, they're a month away.

 

[alienalex]

Great, So the light would be the same red one that they used when they were chicks?

so if they're a month away they should be switched to grow feed and then switched back to the layer feed a month after?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No, not a heat lamp and yes, switch.

The light should be bright enough to be able to read a newspaper at roost height. So preferably a white light. A CFL is fine.

This time of year, one never knows when they'll start laying so it's best to wait till you get eggs to switch to layer. Offering oyster shell in a separate container is important so any that are laying can get enough calcium.