Waiting for the first egg...

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
That's a hard one. I think the best thing to do is have the nests ready with fake eggs in them so they are available when they do start but let them roam as you normally do. They could start laying soon or it might be a couple more months. If you suspect they are laying somewhere else, lock them up in the coop a couple of days so they can't get to their hidden nest. If you get eggs, you know they are holding out on you. Chickens are creatures of habit. If they are laying somewhere else, you can possibly leave them locked in the coop for a week or so until they get in the habit of laying in the coop, hopefully in the nests. Of course, they may go back to their old nest when you let them out again, especially if it still has eggs in it. That's why this is a hard one.

I know how hard it is to wait for that first egg and how exciting it is to get it. But I have found the ones that start laying a little later are less likely to have problems with an immature internal egg laying factory and are better layers throughout their first year or two than the ones that lay early. A lot of the early layers do fine, but I really prefer them to wait until about week 20 myself. Hard as it is, the wait is worth it.

 

[trunkman]

I have 11 pullets, 5 are 22 weeks old and 6 are 19 weeks old, I get two eggs a day, one from my 22 week old that started laying 2 weeks ago but I don't know who is laying the second egg, hopefully we'll find out today because I plan on watching them all day. I have 1 white rock who lays every day, 2 australops, 2 barred rocks, 2 new hampshire reds, 3 rhode island reds and 1 jersey giant. Yours will start to lay any day now..

 

[jjhere]

Okay. Red combs and "bloomers".

I'll keep an eye out (and maybe peek in the bushes around the yard while I'm at it.) Thanks!

Julie

 

[Collis]

I have six lovely ladies and I, too, am awaiting the "first egg." My girls consist of two BSL's, on RSL, on Production Red (I think;-), and two OEGB's. They are 17 weeks old and one of my BSL's has a very red waddle and her comb is dark pink verging on red; therefore, I am hoping she is close. I haven't noticed any squatting or heard the "egg song." It has been really, really hot here and I am afraid that the heat may slow things down a bit. Hopefully, they will start soon as I am very excited!