Hello...I like to put the title in caps so I can find it later :-) I have a 9 month old female turkey and 3 guinea hens who are 7-8 months old. They are fed laying pellets and always have fresh water available. We even give give them warm water in the cold weather. They have a comfortable coop with wood shavings and an outside pen to get fresh air each day. I believe they are getting everything they need...why aren't they laying eggs yet? Is is too cold? We are in NY and have a mild winter (only a few times below 20 degrees so far). Any ideas? There are also 3 pheasants and a male guinea for "roommates." Most of our chickens (6 Barred Rocks, 6 White Rocks and 6 Bantams) are laying throughout the winter. Can anyone shed some light? Thanks bunches :-)

-- Cheri Asprion (t.asprion@worldnet.att.net), January 23, 2002

Answers

Response to SHOULDN'T THEY BE LAYING BY NOW?

It may be the amount of light they are getting. None of my chickens or quail have laid eggs as quickly as I had thought they should or heard that they would.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

Response to SHOULDN'T THEY BE LAYING BY NOW?

I only can speak about the turkey. It is my experience that in the first year they begin to lay later than in subsequent years. For instance, our turkey hens are two age groups, first year layers and second year. This year the older ones began laying a couple of weeks ago, whereas last year we had no eggs until late Feb. Just hang in there.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), January 23, 2002.

Response to SHOULDN'T THEY BE LAYING BY NOW?

Some light is the answer. Chicken need a full 12 hours of light to keep up production. If you want to start your hens laying keep them warm 40+ and keep a light on. OR just wait, the daylight hours are getting 1 minute longer each day. Mother nature takes care of her own. During the winter their bodies slow down to conserve energy and egg production drops. On egg farms they are at a constant temp. and are always in light. A good layer can give 2 eggs in 26 hours but they get "old" fast and by 2 they are ready for culling. Hope that helps.

-- (twobit329@aol.com), January 23, 2002.

The easiest way to find a thread as it works its way down the new questions list is to do a Control and F at the same time. This brings up a pop-up key word search box. Enter a key word from your title.

-- Ken W. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 23, 2002.

Here in MN the guineas only lay seasonally - about April to Sept. If they are young birds they may not lay until a bit later in the season also.

-- Trisha-MN (coldguinea@netscape.net), January 23, 2002.

I'm in Virginia, my guineas are not laying yet, probably in another couple months.

-- Sharon (spangenberg@hovac.com), January 23, 2002.

Yep, guineas are seasonal. They will start laying for you this spring. Good luck!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 23, 2002.

Turkeys are seasonal too; my Naturally Mating Bronze never started laying until them middle of February in WI.

-- e (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

I used to work on a farm that had both guineas and an variety of turkeys, and they would all start laying in February or March. Of course, daylight shrinks to 9 hours here in the shortest days of winter, so the timing may be different where you are.

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), January 23, 2002.

Thanks, everyone for the input. I'll have to let Mother Nature take her course and wait.

-- Cheri Asprion (t.asprion@worldnet.att.net), January 24, 2002.