Young Hens

[cravenchx]

So, my girls are 14 weeks old, I don't expect
them to start laying before the last week of
October. However, everyone talks about how
hens slow down with their laying because of
the shorter days. Will I still get eggs?

 

[GoldDogsMom]

You will still get eggs. It's the length of daylight that effects them, does your coop have windows to maximize daylight time? My young girls laid all winter last year.

 

[cravenchx]

Yes, we have three windows, east, south and west.
I've painted the inside of the nesting boxes white,
to make them brighter.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

They should do fine, they will lay the most eggs the first year so...enjoy!

 

[cravenchx]

Quote:
Thanks, I get so much help on this site.
I think sometimes, I just need reassuring!

 

[Eggcessive]

You might look up some older posts about lights in the coop during the winter. Many say they put a light (40-60 watt) with a timer on about 4-5 AM for about 12 hours of light a day, letting the chickens go to sleep when it normally gets dark so that they can find their way to their roost before a light goes out suddenly. If your barn is light during the day, the light can just be on from 4 AM until daylight.