When will the laying start.

[3scorpios]

June 20th, we bought day old chicks to add to our group. 2 buffs, 2 silver laced, 2 sussex, 2 ancona, 2 brahmas, 2 Columbian Wyandottes, 1 Americona. It's now mid December and they haven't started laying. We use a light, we feed twice a day. We use a cookie tin heater for water as we live in Central Pa. The run is wrapped in heavy plastic to keep the snow and wind off them so they come out of the coop. Our 6 older chickens have slowed down to 1 or 2 eggs a day. We thought we would start getting eggs from the new ones by now. Any thoughts or experiences with this? We've been told that if they haven't started by now, they may not start to after winter, I hope that's not the case.

 

[LRH97]

It is true that egg production decreases as the days get shorter and the temp gets colder. However, your birds are still pretty young. Average laying ages range from 6-9 months, depending on breed and environmental conditions. They should be getting closer though!

 

[Happy Chooks]

They will start during winter. I have some that hatched in March that are just starting to lay now.

 

[Kelsie2290]

X3, would expect at least some of them from that group to start laying this winter, especially since you have lights in the coop (they are bright enough and enough hours?) None of the new girls are what I would consider early layers, maybe the Ancona, so it may be spring before they all get going.

 

[jjackson-7]

My mid march chicks are just starting to lay now, so they will start laying in winter. It's been about a week and they haven't all started yet, but I'm thrilled (I too was fearing that they wouldn't start until spring!)

The light is a big thing, and I echo Kelsie 2290 in asking that you have enough hours of bright light. I didn't. They were getting 3 additional hours on our 9 hour days here, but the coop doesn't have sun facing windows all day and was still not light enough. I bumped it up to 5 hours on top of the 9 hour day, as well as an extra 2 hours in the morning when it is technically daylight, but still wasn't bright enough inside the coop. It took a week and they started slowly but more are starting every day. I also feed them hot mash and cayenne pepper to help keep them warm and it seems to help.

 

[3scorpios]

Thank you for the responses. I guess I'm a little anxious. I am glad to know that others have had new chicks and they've started in the winter. And as a side note, I do provide at least 14 hrs of light, that is the natural light and the light I provide.