# question on first time layers



## backyardFarming (Jun 13, 2013)

I bought my chicks and was delivered on May 16th 2013. I have 2 barred rock, 1 buff orphington, and 2 Easter eggers. 
I was surprised that only one of my barred rock started to lay eggs faithfully everyday, at the end of September. But here it is in the middle of November and none of them are starting to lay.(except my 1 barred rock) why are any of the rest laying yet? And/or when can I expect the others to start laying?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you sure they are all females? What are you feeding?


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## backyardFarming (Jun 13, 2013)

I ordered them from the a hatchery and they were sexed as females. And they all look like females. I feed they laying hen pellets. I give them cracked corn and dehydrated meal worms from tractor supply as a treat. Most mornings I give them some goats milk after I milk my goats. They are healthy and a good size.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Are they cooped up or free range? If they are free range they may be laying in your hay stack, or under a bush somewhere...


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Because we're going into winter it can sometimes take a little longer. It's only 6 months and some can take 7 or 8 before they start laying


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Agreed, some take a lot longer than others. Mine were free range, they mostly laid in the nesting boxes I had but sometimes I would randomly find an egg in the goat pen, or in a bush


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Absolutely. They're late babies and the weather may be throwing them off as well. Are you supplementing light in the coop? Pullets lay anywhere from 3-9 months depending on weather, stress, molting, worm/cocci, and breed as well.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Also feeding egglayer feed, helps get them started, when they are old enough.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

Where are you located? If your days are getting shorter, they may wait till spring, or lay infrequently. I ran into that with my spring chicks the first year. Right when they SHOULD start laying, the days got short and they didn't lay much. I installed a light on a timer. First year or two I used a heat lamp, but then found that wasn't really necessary. 

For optimal egg laying they need at least 15hrs of "daylight". Here in NW WA we're lucky to get 8 good hours in the dead of winter. Starting in Sept or so, I set a light on a timer so that the coop is lit from 6am to 10pm, roughly. Last year I bought a "multiple setting timer" so now I uses less power to do this. It comes on from 6am-9am, then again from 4pm - 10pm (earlier in the fall it didn't come on till 7 at night, but I change it as the days get shorter). 

The light has GREATLY improved my egg production for years now. My girls (8 hens - 2 are pretty old and dont lay much) still lay fewer eggs than in summer, but I still get enough to sell some, on top of what we use.


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## backyardFarming (Jun 13, 2013)

Ok.. thanks everyone! I will be looking to get a light put in the coop at night.


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