When to get more chick for max egg production.

[ruralmom]

Here is a newbie question!!!
If I get chicks later in the summer will those pullets start laying 16-20 weeks after maturity regardless of season(time of the year)? Another words I got chicks in late June should start laying at the latest Nov. If I get chicks now, they should start laying in Jan. Right?? Or will they delay laying due to the weather? Can I control their molt this way as well or do chickens molt by age or by season? If you understand this let me know. We do have wicked winters in CO and I have three good coops. I do not know if this is something I should try or if I am risking the health and welfare of the birds if they molt by age not by time of the year.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Chickens lay more when they get about 14-16 hours of light/day. If you are going to have an artificial source of 'daylight' for them in the coop then they should lay at the age you would expect a spring chicken to begin laying. However if you are not going to supplement the natural daylight then the first egg may take longer.

I got July chicks last year and got my first egg mid-January. This year I got chicks in midApril and got my first egg last week.

Some say that chickens who've lived with natural sunlight could produce eggs for a greater number of years, though not as many eggs/year. Chickens who receive the same amount of light each day of their lives may not produce eggs for as many years.

Molting is generally regulated by the age of chicken and although there are ways to induce a molt (regulating light/feed/water) it seems to be safer for the chicken for nature take its course.

 

[ruralmom]

Thanks I never thought of light! So to keep my production up I probably would have to introduce a light source. I think I will let nature take it's cource and my egg customers will just have leaner months than others. As far as the molting, same goes, let nature do her thing. I have 50 or so birds so I will get some laying and others not. Thank you so much. I just knew someone could answer that. Thank you!

 

[TipsyDog]

Interesting. At what age do chickens generally molt? How long is the lag in egg production during a molt? After the molt, can I expect a decrease in egg production?

 

[ruralmom]

I am so far from an expert but what I have seen from my girls is they usually molt anually though my older hens look scruffy for 18 months or so. I usually get very few eggs if any during molt and the molt is several weeks, I expect eggs again after they have feathered out and look bright and new.

 

[Buckguy20]

It is my experience that if they haven't started laying by October or early November then they won't start until spring.

 

[ruralmom]

Buckguy20- do if my June chicks do not start laying in Nov. do not expect anything till spring? But if they do start in Nov. I will continue to get eggs? This batch of chicks is the latest I have ever ordered, I usually get chicks in May but a hatching went very badly and only got 10 out of 50 eggs. Is May the best time to get chicks for fall pullets?

 

[AmyRey]

Not an expert by any means, but could there be a difference in the winter laying tendencies of the various breeds? Are some better "winter layers" than others?

 

[ruralmom]

Here is how I choose what breeds will work for my needs and geographics.
www.itchaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/dual.html

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I had read the same thing, that some chickens would not lay until spring if they had not started by Novemberish. I had nearly given up hope in mid-January and had resigned myself to not even look for eggs until spring. I was like this

when I found an egg one day! I decided to add light to the coop and got an egg a day for about a week and a half and then I found two eggs! Two days later I had four eggs!! So I can personally attest to the fact that artificial light does work! In a matter of a couple weeks all 7 girls were laying. They were about 25 weeks old (buff orpingtons) but better late than never.

This winter I will have closer to 20 layers so I am not sure that I will supplement the light as we should have enough for at least our own family to eat!