Will pullets start laying even though the winter is coming?

[FlyingtheCoop]

My girls have not started laying yet, but are approaching laying age. The days are shortening already, but I was wondering if they will lay anyway or do they hold out until spring regardless of age? Thanks in advance!

 

[bobbieschicks]

My white leghorn started laying on thanksgiving morning. I've gotten six eggs out of eight days. Yesterday was a wind egg but not a real egg.

 

[OmyChickens]

The length and intensity of light is what triggers the hormones in hens to start the laying process.. If you are able to, you can artificially light your coop so your hens get about 14-16 hours of bright light a day and 8-10 of dark or dim light. Make sure you keep a regular schedule. Hens can stress out it they know the lights go off at "x" time and they dont go off until you get home late after dinner and a movie.. Timers are pretty cheap and a great way to solve that problem.

Other factors for not laying could be stress (predators, mean roosters, wacky schedules with lighting, poor nutrition, all kinds of things) and temperature.. if its too cold many hens just wont lay. you can artificially heat your coop too.. I made a solar heater out of old aluminum cans and a solar fan.. super cheep cheep!

Good luck!

edited to add:
Perhaps I should say ( so you know im not blowing smoke up your tail feathers) that I read about day length and light intesity in a book.. I believe it was Raising Chickens for Dummies.. Kimberly Willis; breeder and enthusiast and Rob Ludlow; Owner of Backyardchickens.com
So perhaps there is no merit to it... perhaps there is.. Of course hens who do not get artificial lighting are still going to lay.. its a matter of when. I doubt they candle lit coops back in the day and the chicken has seemed to continue through time so artificial lighting is not necessary unless you want to lengthen the day and hold off the slowing down of egg production. I did not mean to say that lighting is the only factor to help your hens along or even the correct answer to your waiting blues..

 

[BerrytangleFarm]

We have lights in two coops and not in another. The one coop without lights has pullets coming of age but not laying. The other two coops have pullets coming of age and just started laying in the last couple weeks. I think the lights are working

 

[OmyChickens]

Quote:
Awesome! Worked for me too! Weirdest thing..

 

[gritsar]

Typically, a pullet going into her first season of laying is going to lay when her body is ready to no matter what the season, no matter what the lighting conditions. If you are going to see a wintertime slowdown it will be in their second winter.

 

[Pinky]

Quote:
Mine did too! I thought I would have to wait until spring.

 

[FaereChicken]

We got our first egg from a 5 month old Susex yesterday!

 

[Jeffross1968]

Had 4 just begin laying, so at least for us, apparently the length of day meant nothing.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Yep, season doesn't matter in the first year - they will still start laying. I had 2 start up 2 weeks ago. (I don't light my coops)