When do SS lay?

Hi all!

I was wondering when do speckled sussex generally start laying? My girl is almost 21 weeks, has a pink face, is performing the egg squat occasionally and is singing. She is showing no interest in the nests though.

I'm betting you'll see eggs in two weeks.

I don't know the answer to your question, but I have another question for you. Speckled Sussex is a breed I am considering adding to my flock next spring .Are yours hatchery or breeder SSs?

From the reading I have done, I was under the impression (and I have been known to be wrong more often than right ) that the hatchery SSs mature early, so I was figuring under 20 weeks.

ktn65 said:

I don't know the answer to your question, but I have another question for you. Speckled Sussex is a breed I am considering adding to my flock next spring .Are yours hatchery or breeder SSs?

From the reading I have done, I was under the impression (and I have been known to be wrong more often than right

) that the hatchery SSs mature early, so I was figuring under 20 weeks.

Click to expand...

I bought my girl at a feed store where she was ordered from a hatchery. She grew at the normal rate.

Mountain Peeps said:

I bought my girl at a feed store where she was ordered from a hatchery. She grew at the normal rate.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Mine will be definitely coming from a hatchery.

Mine started laying when she was 20 weeks old. I get a double yolker from her nearly every time so far!

Cool. My Speckles is only seven weeks old. Thirteen (or so) more weeks to wait...

Mountain Peeps said:

Hi all!

I was wondering when do speckled sussex generally start laying? My girl is almost 21 weeks, has a pink face, is performing the egg squat occasionally and is singing. She is showing no interest in the nests though.

Click to expand...

ypur SS and BO are pretty is the white one a delaware??

my SS always lay from 19 1/2 to 23 weeks and seeing by her comb it should be a week and a half give or take a few days.

They should lay anywhere between 22-26 weeks. The egg noises and squatting could be a sign that eggs are forming in their system. Keep in mind that the chickens body begins forming the egg within the oviduct about 7 days before it is actually laid. They hen could quite possibly be feeling the eggs coming on and has started to react. Don't worry that she hasn't shown any interest in the nesting box, as she still might not know what it is used for. A few of my hens have laid their first eggs outside of the nesting boxes on the floor of the coop. A quick tip to kind of ensure that the pullets lay in the nest boxes is to buy some dummy eggs (wooden eggs found at craft stores) and place them in the nesting boxes. I have done this with all my pullets recently and they have all laid their first eggs in the nest boxes. Once a few birds start laying, the dummy eggs can be removed as the other birds will catch on.

P.S - regarding the squat - in my experience I have always gotten an egg within one week of my hen squatting. The position is for reproductive purposes, so this is a clear sign that her egg laying is firing up. Enjoy your first eggs! They're always the most fun to get!!!

Glad I found this post! Our 3 SS are almost 17 wks old now and 2 of them have combs that are getting redder every day (the 3rd one is pinkish). Ours came from Murray McMurray and have been so much fun. Personality-wise, they have fit in well with the Black Australorps, Barred Rocks and Red Sex Links we also got from MM. Our 3 older hens (2 RIR and 1 EE) don't seem to get as annoyed with the SS as they do some of the others.

Can hardly wait to see their eggs!