Winter laying?

[Cha Cha Chicken]

My chickens are young, around 17 weeks. This will be their first laying season..... I was wondering if they would lay through winter or wait till spring to start laying....

 

[card5640]

Hello, you might need to extend their day light hours by putting a lamp in there for light an extra few hours at dusk.

 

[RockinCRanch]

I give my birds between 14 and 15 hours of light per day. My coop is 10x12. I use a 25 watt bulb on a timer. The light is set to come on about 3:00 am so they can go to roost at dusk in the evenings. It worked great last winter. They slowed a bit but got plenty of eggs all winter.

 

[woodmort]

Since they are first-year birds, when they're ready to lay, they will lay. 14 hrs of light may help, especially if you're in a area where there is less than 11 but they still will give you eggs when they're ready. I emphasized the "when they're ready" because it just may be a bit later than you might be expecting.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

My pullets are laying age. One started laying about 2-3 weeks ago. I think they'll probably start laying but won't keep up for long w/the cold weather, shorter days etc. I would def. put a heat lamp in their coop.

 

[Cha Cha Chicken]

I have a heat lamp- I leave it on all the time..... should I not do that? Im new to chickens, sorry if I sound dumb

 

[sotelomary]

Two of my chickens were that age when they started laying in the fall. They continued through winter. I live in the bay area where winters are mild and we still have sunny days in between showers. We usually average about 10 hours a day. I would not use lights. I believe that chickens should follow their natural cycles. Their bodies need the rest. Just my opinion.

Mary