after 4 months of no eggs i finally place a light in my chicken house i had been feeding them layenmash only and given them oyster shells but still no eggs so i installed a light with a 40 watt bulb and place it in over a week ago i have the light on a timmer thats set to come on at 5 pm to 7 am and then they go out into the natural light so how long does it take for the light to take affect i have white legghorns and aracaunas and rhode islandreds and white legghorn mixes
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The question is how ancient are they. If they are just coming to maturity (4-6 months) now in the fall, you may have to wait until spring before they start. I wouldn’t worry too much about it and if they don’t start to lay in early spring, consult a vet. They may have a parasite which sometimes stops chickens from laying. But wait until the spring before jumping the gun.
I know there is alot of differences between ducks and chickens, but with the birds at work when we are ready to start hatching the breeders are kept in the barn where there is a light on for 17 hours everyday, and it works.
Are they giving off any eggs, or no eggs whatsoever?
If they are giving off some are you putting them in an incubator (assuming your hatching them).
Usually chickens and ducks drop even unfertilized eggs during the summer and spring.
I dunno about a light but I had a chicken once and she didn’t lay any eggs until we found this rooster.
Thats when she started laying and she stopped when we lost the rooster…
alot
Are your chickens warm enough? Are they fed enough? How ancient are they? They could be too young or too ancient.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS029
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/egg.pdf
http://gworrell.freeyellow.com/chickenfaq.html
Hope this helps
Excellent luck
when they get around that age you really have to stress that they get enough water if it is cold at night then you can get one of thosedog bowls that you plug into the wall that warm up they will use there energy to warm then selfs up insted of laying eggs and need proper laying boxes
Your hens wont start to lay eggs for you till around 5-6 months and a light wont make any differences to them also feed these birds some scratch feed as well as laying pellets they need this as well since the pellets wont do much excellent till they START to lay. The hens will lay no matter if a roo is present or not. Hope you have a coop with some spots for a nest so birds can lay the eggs in use some hay so birds can build the nest and they will be pleased for you when they start to lay.
First off,I assume that you are sure that you have hens.
NO,as one answer suggests. . . you DO NOT need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs.
Chickens have to be a minimum of 5 months ancient to start laying and even at that I would say that they will more than likely be 6 months before they lay.
Chickens need a minimum of 14hrs of light to help promote laying and it sounds as though you are doing that so I would assume that IF your birds are 5-6 months ancient,are really hens and they are getting enough light then you may have birds that are laying but the eggs are being stolen. . . . Is that possible?
Predators such as rats,skunks,snakes and raccoons will come in the night and steal eggs.
Rats will generally break open one end of the egg and suck out the egg and though I would reckon it’s getting to be cold enough that snakes are looking for a place to hibernate,it is possible that you have a snake that is staying in for the warmth of the light you have provided.
Both a rat and snake would get around at night without making much of a commotion in the hen house but skunks and raccoon’s would certainly make the chickens do some squawking.
Excellent Luck
they are not supposed have 24 hour light that is probably keeping them from laying. they need rest and sleep. they usually dont start laying untill 5 months. please turn that light off sleep is importnt to all birds wellbeing