When Will My Hens Start Laying Eggs? Any Tips to Help? 🐣

[Moroseta]

Hi everyone,

I have three hens (an Isa Brown, a Leghorn, and a Bantam Cornish), all hatched at the end of May, but none of them have started laying eggs yet.

The weather here started getting cold fairly early, around the end of October, and we’ve had a lot of rain since then. Now, they should be fully grown.

Do you know when they will likely start laying their first eggs? Is there anything I can do to help them, like with their food or other care, to encourage them to start laying?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Best,
Moroseta

 

[nuthatched]

They'll lay when they're ready. Likely once daylight increases in February.
There's nothing you can feed to make them lay unless, their diet is lacking already.

 

[Moroseta]

They'll lay when they're ready. Likely once daylight increases in February.
There's nothing you can feed to make them lay unless, their diet is lacking already.

For their diet, I’m using 50% layer feed and 50% mixed grains. I also supplement their diet with food scraps (mainly leftover vegetables and fruits). For example, today they had some salmon and chopped bread.

Does that sound like a balanced diet for them?

Thanks again!

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

For their diet, I’m using 50% layer feed and 50% mixed grains. I also supplement their diet with food scraps (mainly leftover vegetables and fruits). For example, today they had some salmon and chopped bread.

Does that sound like a balanced diet for them?

Thanks again!

I dont think the mixed grains are good imo

 

[LaFleche]

To me it appears that your birds are lacking in protein as feeding 50% grain mix will reduce the protein content of the layer feed significantly. Adding vegetables and fruit will reduce the protein content even further

Try feeding regularly some animal protein like curd cheese, fish, meat scraps etc. and add brewer's yeast to the mix. To raise the protein percentage of your grain mix you can switch to a third of field peas.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

They probably came to POL (Point of Lay) around November, when daylight hours became shortened. Cold is not really a factor.

IMO the best diet is a 20 - 22% protein all-flock or grower feed with oyster shell on the side. All those extras you are feeding just means they are not eating that amount of layer feed. If they're eating a balanced commercial feed, they don't need any of those supplements or treats. The only possible reason for treats is for training purposes, to teach them to come when called, and a tablespoon of worms or scratch per bird is all that's needed for that.

 

[Moroseta]

I see now that the mixed grains might not be the best choice, and I’ll consider switching to a more balanced diet. I originally added the mixed grains thinking it would be better and more natural for them, my grandmother always fed them to her chickens, but I now realize that was a mistake. I wasn’t aware that adding vegetables and fruits could lower the protein intake, so I’ll focus more on adding animal proteins like curd cheese, fish, and meat scraps.

Regarding the Point of Lay timing, if they likely reached POL around November, does that mean they might start laying in February, when the daylight increases?

Thanks again for all the great advice—I really appreciate it!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

does that mean they might start laying in February, when the daylight increases?

Yes.

 

[TillyPeeps]

My pullets were hatched on May 13. Two started laying two months ago and two just start to squat. Usually, if they didn't start before November, they will wait until at least late January. Never had anyone start laying in December before. All my chickens are on Grower feed.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yes.

Or shortly after. I'm giving mine two extra hours of supplemental light and have been for about a month. I was getting 2 or 3 eggs a day. The numbers increased gradually and yesterday I got 9! (19 F birds, some too old to lay). Altogether they are getting about 12 hours of light. They won't all start laying overnight.