Are we likely to get eggs this year?

[carolb0101]

Hi All

Our 3 girls are now approx. 16 weeks old. They are all pure breeds and I know they won't lay until approx 26 weeks old. Now that the days are getting shorter, are they likely to lay this year?

What do people think about putting artificial light inside the coop?

Thanks

 

[Wrigley62]

Hey Carol,

I would think you have pleanty of time left. We started getting eggs from our pure breeds at around twenty weeks.

As far as the artificial light goes, I don't know. I have a friend up the road that doesn't use it and still gets his fair share of eggs all winter long. I'll try it, I just don't know when to turn it on. AM or PM???

Good Luck,

Wrigley

 

[Marigold]

If your purebred hens are 16 weeks old they could have about 8-10 weeks, or even more, before coming into lay. This would take you up to the middle of November. By then the light will be very low and this may mean that the may not make it into lay this year. If this happens they will go on growing steadily through the worst of the dark winter weather and will be good strong birds that will lay well by the time they do lay early in the New Year. Or of course they may start to lay before Christmas anyway, you never know with hens.
At that stage of their lives I wouldn't personally prove them extra electric light - it would be better for them to mature naturally and come into lay at what is for them the correct time. Hens in winter have to face the challenges of low light, and cold and damp weather, and forcing them into lay for the first time is not really a good idea. Hens raised in commercial conditions do lay all winter but they are usually kept indoors in barns or cages, at a constant temperature, and under quite intensive conditions- rather different from the way most of us keep our domestic hens.