At what age do Black Australorps begin to lay their first eggs???

[tantricdragon13]

Yikes! Checking pelvic bones?  I hope that isn't uncomfortable for them. 
My Black Australorps have begun laying.  All a huge surprise to me... found two eggs on the nest one day.  I had been looking for a missing girl and searched all over for her. Finally looked in the coop and there she was... sitting patiently.  When she left the nest, I was shocked to find that, not only had she laid then, but there was a cold egg sitting there with the warm one.  Yippee.

My Light Sussex FIRST laid at 24 1/2 WEEKS.  Her eggs are around 10gms lighter (around 48-51gms) than the Astralorps (58-62gms) but she is a much bigger chicken. ???

So happy to have eggs at last but they, chickens,  cost a fortune.  The three chickens eat at least  1 iceberg lettuce, 1 corn cop, 2 -3 pieces of fruit (paw paw, pears, plums) every day... porridge for breakfast and fermented feed every evening. Of course, they are also eat their organic top layer mix at will all day. 

The three girls have laid every day since which is now just over a month. 

Those sound like happy hens!

I learned the pelvic bone thing here on BYC. It's not invasive and doesn't hurt them. You just feel gently near their vent. The two I tried it on didn't even seem to notice. They were more interested in trying to get past me and through the door to green grass freedom.

 

[Tippy Toes]

Oh, I must look it up... watch a YouTube possibly.
My girls are very happy. I raised them from 5days. I lost one Light Sussex to extensive liver disease (on autopsy). No idea what happened there but the remaining three are pretty lucky girls. I just had the yard fenced as the girls would visit the neighbours and scratch around their gardens... lol. The neighbours didn't mind as their gardens are mostly natives with mulch under and the manure was welcome.

 

[TJordan]

This is my first time raising chickens from day old babies and somehow managed to keep all 10 alive... Yes I know that's a lot for a first timer but my husband thought we would lose a few so... Here we are... 10 almost 19-week old black Austros and I found my male mounting one of the girls ... Guess he's starting to feel his 'manliness' lol... Any advice would be great

 

[Tippy Toes]

Welcome! I'm a newbie to BackYard Chickens myself. What is it exactly, that you would like help with?
I don't know a lot but have learned as I've motored along.
I don't have a rooster (banned in the suburbs by City Council) so if your query is about you boy, maybe search for a thread regarding rooster management. Boys have one function as I understand it so... one can't mess with nature.

 

[TJordan]

Mainly I need to know I about how long after they start squatting should I expect that first egg... And if the Layer feed can harm my rooster. I also need to know if he needs a nest box as well... Thanks for your help

 

[Tippy Toes]

Right. As regards the rooster's feed - chicken's don't seem to feed from different containers so I don't imagine you could stop him from eating with the girls are eating. As far as a nest box goes, roosters don't lay or brood so... I can't see that he would ever occupy one. As long as there is adequate roosting perches available for all birds to have space (about one foot each), he should be happy. Again, click on some rooster threads for advice from those experienced.

I have to say, my girls just began laying one day, I didn't notice squatting. I couldn't find one of my girls one day and looked in the coop as a last resort and found her sitting. When she left the nest, there were two eggs so she had laid the day before as well. There was no 'song' as people report.. ... ? Since then, they have all three laid eggs every day. Happy me.

My BAs were 22-23 weeks when they started laying and the Light Sussex, about a week after that. Some folk wait until 37 weeks before seeing their first egg.

Climate may have a lot to do with this. I am in Australia and temps here never get below 1deg celcius (rare) and are as high as 24deg celcius (like today) in mid wiinter. That's 32F - 75F if you are in the US.

Hope you see an egg soon - it is an exciting day, that first egg! I took photos, weighed them and posted to FB. (I lead a very narrow life)

 

[TJordan]

Thanks

I can't wait as well... I have two little kids 4 & 7... They check every day lol....
The chickens are a little stressed right now though because we had a nasty storm roll through here last week and (thank God they were not in it ) took out half our fence and crushed the back of the coop so we are rebuilding it... Right now the little beauties are living it up in my spare room in back... ( I don't recommend that unless emergencies ) they poop everywhere and the dust from the pine shavings is horrific. Even though they are in a pin.... I pray they are back outside before the first egg shows...

 

[Tippy Toes]

Oh my goodness! How frighteing for you all! It would be unlikely for chickes to lay when stressed. My friend has acreage and when she bought her point-of-lay girls, it took them 2 weeks before the first egg arrived even though conditions were perfect. Hope all turns out well for you and you get those pooping feather balls out of your spare room... SOON!
I have used pine shavings but am now rather favouring lucerne... in the coop and run. Good luck.

 

[TJordan]

That's a good idea.. I need to find something less dusty... And I hope we will have them outside this weekend... My lips to Gods ear lol

 

[tantricdragon13]

My girls did the singing and the squatting. A week and a half later - boom! egg! Since then, I've only heard the egg song once or twice. The first eggs came when they were all around 21 weeks old.