Will they lay before spring?

[AuberyMirkwood]

I raised chickens when I was a teenager but beyond the first first egg I have never giving much thought to when the girls layed. I figured they'd do it when they were good and ready. Now that I've moved to the city and started my new flock this summer, well, let's just say these guys have been much more pet-ified and I'm all up their their business lol.

Any way, at the moment in my little flock the five oldest girls were hatched August 3rd so that makes them 20 weeks yesterday. They are 4 bantam cochins (buff ,gold laced, silver laced, and silver penciled), 1 black tail buff japanese.

So is your best guess that I should start practicing the "first egg" dance or are these little girls going to wait until spring. Oooor since they free range over the large back yard does anyone suspect that I should go easter egg hunting early?

BTW, they have 24 hr light because the coop is right next to the porch light.

Here's some pics from last Friday (16th).


DSC_0027 by AuberyMirkwood, on Flickr

DSC_0033 by AuberyMirkwood, on Flickr

DSC_0018 by AuberyMirkwood, on Flickr

 

[AuberyMirkwood]

I'm hoping to maybe find a hidden egg or two. Reason: Because the silver laced hen seems pretty hippy ^_^

 

[Fierlin1182]

Most of the time they wait until the end of winter to start laying (depends on the breed, I suppose. Sex links are better with year-round action), and 20 weeks does sound a little early, mine started a while after that.
You could always watch in the morning to see if they head anywhere - chances are they're probably just trying out the feeling, and won't lay anything yet.

 

[ChikenNugget]

Mine started laying after it was already below freezing at night here. They were 25 weeks old when they started. I don't provide extra light and they started on Layer pellets at 23 weeks. I didn't expect anything but they surprised us and now we are getting 2-3 eggs per day from 6 possible layers. The Easter-Egger hasn't started up yet.