Getting my Pullets to LAY!

[cluckcluckluke]

I have about 6 POL pullets here. There ages range from 17- 30 weeks of age.

I am wondering is there anything I can do to get them to lay?
What if they are not laying because they don't know were to?
I have got laying hens at the moment but these are my first pullets.

 

[Rich386]

I have about 6 POL pullets here. There ages range from 17- 30 weeks of age.

I am wondering is there anything I can do to get them to lay?
What if they are not laying because they don't know were to?
I have got laying hens at the moment but these are my first pullets.

IF THEY ARE ALL TOGETHER THEY HAVE SEEN THE NEST AND WILL DECIDE WHERE AND WHEN TO LAY. AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THEM LAY.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

IF THEY ARE ALL TOGETHER THEY HAVE SEEN THE NEST AND WILL DECIDE WHERE AND WHEN TO LAY. AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THEM LAY.

O.K thanks. I know I can't "make" them lay, was just wondering if you had to show them eggs etc.lol.

Could I put them in the nesting shed for an hour or so?

 

[BCarlin]

More light on dark days and a good diet (ours tend to lay a bit less when we feed mostly scraps. We add some chicken feed or grainy bread and production seems to pick up. Our neighbor always feeds grain but didn't have the light in the winter. Hers rarely gave eggs until she added the light. Is it 12 -14 hours recommended? Read that somewhere.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Thanks. My girls get an all flock feed and they have a bowl filled with Calcium for the layers.

 

[Rich386]

Quote: You can put plastic eggs from the dollar store in the nest or golf balls. they mistake them for eggs. They like to lay where the other hens do.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The flock social structure and social pressures work in your favor. If the pullets are well integrated with the laying hens, they pullets will follow the example of the older hens and lay where they lay.

The only exception to this would be if the older hens dominate the pullets and limit their access to the nests and bully the pullets as they attempt to lay.

If the pullets are free ranged from sun up to sun down, there is also a risk that instead of competing for a nest in the coop, they develop the habit of laying off site in secret nests. Do your birds free range?

 

[cluckcluckluke]

You can put plastic eggs from the dollar store in the nest or golf balls. they mistake them for eggs. They like to lay where the other hens do.

Yeah I already have golf balls. One in each nest box. your supposed to take them out when your hens are well into laying but I have just kept them in their.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

The flock social structure and social pressures work in your favor. If the pullets are well integrated with the laying hens, they pullets will follow the example of the older hens and lay where they lay.

The only exception to this would be if the older hens dominate the pullets and limit their access to the nests and bully the pullets as they attempt to lay.

If the pullets are free ranged from sun up to sun down, there is also a risk that instead of competing for a nest in the coop, they develop the habit of laying off site in secret nests. Do your birds free range?

I have 3 pullets that are in the flock all happy. The only time I see them get pecked is in the morning when they are hungry for feed. At the moment I only have about 7 hens laying from 19.

I have 3 nest boxes but they only really use 2. So there should be enough time for them to lay.
Some of my hens lay when I first let them out and others lay later in the afternoon, like 2 - 3pm so they spread them selves out.

For sometime I haven't free ranged but have noticed some health problems so now they have started free ranging again. From about 12:30pm till they go to bed.

Should I let them out at like 2pm to prevent laying in the free range area.

My run is quite big. So my pullets could be laying in the long grass. But I do check and we burnt some of it of and found nothing.

 

[LeJeune1]

Having an automatic light come on early in the am (5am) is a great way to stimulate the girls hormones into production. I also use ceramic eggs rather than golf balls or plastic Easter eggs. They are heavier and don't pop open under their weight .