Will my new chickens ever lay?

[Crunchie13]

I have a Cream Legbar and a Welsummer which are now 31 weeks old and have still not started to lay. Now we are getting into winter, will they ever start laying? They are with 3 older chickens that are all laying fine.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The first thing to look at is day length. Shortening days usually delays laying. Days were already starting to get shorter when the reached the 5 month mark. I haven't had legbars but my welsummers hatched in October started laying at 22 weeks but the days were getting longer then.
Unless they have an illness or reproductive problem, they'll eventually lay.
Have they been eating layer feed or are you giving an all flock type of feed with oyster shell on the side?

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I know nothing of the breed but have heard that sometimes some chickens just take a real long time. I doubt they are defective though lol it stinks to have to wait!

Are they free ranging? Or is there a chance they have been laying somewhere completely out of site?

 

[Crunchie13]

They are free ranging but we have already checked all areas incase they have done that. Will hold out for the spring, fingers crossed they will start laying when the days get longer. Thanks

 

[Crunchie13]

They are on layers pellets. I mix oyster shells in with the feed and also have it on the side.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They are on layers pellets. I mix oyster shells in with the feed and also have it on the side.

Don't mix oyster shell with the feed. The ratio of calcium/phosphorus as well as the presence of vitamin D is critical.
Offering the shell on the side allows them to choose. A bird not laying eggs can have serious health issues from excessive calcium.
Kidney stones, renal failure, rickets, gout, etc.. Birds that have renal disease may become poor layers or not lay at all.

The chickens will normally only feel the need to consume the oyster shell when they have an egg in the shell gland. A chicken not building an egg shell can function quite well on 0.02% calcium as opposed to the 4.00% calcium in layer feed. If not laying eggs yet they should be on a grower or finisher feed.

some references about calcium

http://www.roudybush.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=birdBrain.articlesRead&article_id=10

http://www.albc-usa.org/heritagechicken/faqs.html

http://ps.fass.org/content/64/12/2300.abstract

 

[Crunchie13]

Ok thanks

 

[sepaditty1]

I've got 3 girls who are 6 months old and not laying. Yesterday was the first day that we didn't let them out of the run. I figured they must be hiding eggs somewhere. We'll see. Now with short days I may NEVER get the eggs.