Will I have to wait till spring for eggs?

[The3GoodFaries]

My 3 Black Astrolops are 23 weeks old, and they are not laying yet. They have free access to Scratch and Peck's Grower feed, Oyster shell, and Grit. They get table scraps, fruit, veggies and meat. They free range for about 6-8 hrs a day when the weather is good. Two of them have very full combs and waddles (Flora and Fauna), the third is decidedly a late bloomer (Merriweather) as her comb and waddle have not started to develop yet. I was hoping to get at least some eggs this fall, but it has not happened yet. Do you think I will have to wait till spring, or should I continue to stalk the coop for eggs?

 

[sbhkma]

I'd keep the faith. A couple of mine girls were pushing 27 weeks before they laid. When you hear them singing, they're either laying or practicing for when they do-they're getting close. They'll also start squatting for you. They may not lay as productively this winter, but they'll lay. My 5 8-month olds have dropped from 28-29 eggs a week to around 23-and I'm thrilled with that!

 

[ailurophile23]

Definitely keep an eye out for eggs - even though the days are getting shorter, they are young so it should not stop them from laying this year.