Signs of chicken laying first eggs

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thinkyesi

thinkyesi

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Oct 24, 2016
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So this year is my first year having backyard chickies. So im learning as i go. I have a barred rock that is around 5 1/2 months old, i always read and hear that she should start laying soon. This morning when i went to pet her and pick her up she squated opening her wings and started flicking her tail up and down. What does that mean? My other chickie doesnt do that, they are the same age.
 
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That behavior is the desire to breed. Since you don't have a rooster, they do that for their caretaker. They rarely do that if a rooster is present.

Combs and wattles getting larger and redder is one sign that laying will be soon.
Checking the space between the pointy pelvic bones is more definitive. There should be 2 or more finger width space between those bones. Until that is the case, an egg can't pass.

In spring and early summer, commencement of lay is likely around 5-5 1/2 months due to days getting longer.
Birds approaching POL after summer solstice usually take longer.
I have 3 pullets that just hit 6 months and aren't laying yet. After having a couple pullets die from egg binding about 6 years ago, I'm not overly anxious for them to start. The more mature they are at onset, the better.
 
In my experience Pullets will show signs of coming into lay a month before laying....Red combs, wattles plus they get bigger....They start looking in nest boxes and will squat......She sounds to be almost ready....

Congrats when you get that Egg....

Cheers!
 
My experience has been a little "off." <sigh> Around here the first sign of egglaying is finding an egg. My girls have fooled me so many times over the past years that I have ended up with more egg on my face than on my plate.

For me, it's a matter of watching them relentlessly for weeks...every twitch, every movement...waiting and waiting for a pullet to lay an egg. But then I get in the car to run a few errands and come back to a first pullet egg in the nest. After that it's a matter of watching them relentlessly for weeks.....every twitch, every movement....waiting and waiting to see which pullet DID lay the mystery egg.
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I noticed my girls were getting ready to start laying eggs, cause they started picking out there nesting area. and sure enough it's been 6 days since they started laying and I now have a dozen eggs. And all my girls squat all the time too. but i just pet them and they walk away.

 
ChickenCanoe said:
That behavior is the desire to breed. Since you don't have a rooster, they do that for their caretaker. They rarely do that if a rooster is present.

Combs and wattles getting larger and redder is one sign that laying will be soon.
Checking the space between the pointy pelvic bones is more definitive. There should be 2 or more finger width space between those bones. Until that is the case, an egg can't pass.

In spring and early summer, commencement of lay is likely around 5-5 1/2 months due to days getting longer.
Birds approaching POL after summer solstice usually take longer.
I have 3 pullets that just hit 6 months and aren't laying yet. After having a couple pullets die from egg binding about 6 years ago, I'm not overly anxious for them to start. The more mature they are at onset, the better.
Click to expand...



So i checked her pelvic bone area and i fit 2 fingers, does that mean soon she will start laying?
 
country girl44 said:
I noticed my girls were getting ready to start laying eggs, cause they started picking out there nesting area. and sure enough it's been 6 days since they started laying and I now have a dozen eggs. And all my girls squat all the time too. but i just pet them and they walk away.
Click to expand...
Oh wow thats awesome! Thanks for the info and for sharing that picture!
 

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