At what age should chickens start laying eggs?

[chickadoodles]

My Australorps are abt. 4 months old. And my EE's are abt. 3 months old and then I have a few Jersey Giants that are about 6 weeks old. So I guess I still have at least 2 months before I start getting eggs?

And for water I also bought the water cups off of ebay and I am using pvc so they will not run out of water! I wrapped my pvc in pipe foam so that hopefully in the winter I won't have a problem with freezing water!

 

[dairyman]

Average hen is 5-6 months old.

 

[bernaboo111]

they mostly start laying at 12-25 weeks.

 

[chickadoodles]

they mostly start laying at 12-25 weeks.

Thank you bernaboo111.

Average hen is 5-6 months old.

Thank you dairyman! I was wondering how long I might have to wait!

 

[jlhowland]

So we've got 10 birds. 6 of them (3 white leghorns and 3 red Sexlinks) are right at 12 weeks old. 2 barred rocks are 11 weeks old. 1 Ameraucana/EE is maybe 7 weeks old and a bantam buff brahma who is may 16-20 weeks old (got her from a farmer at a big flea market in Arkansas so not certain on the age). This evening my wife found an egg in the coop and one of the birds ate into it. The shell looked kind of white-ish/pink-ish in the evening light. Even though one of my red SLs is huge for a 12 weeker I'm guessing the egg belonged to my little Brahmin.

Any picks of Brahmin eggs out there or a forum I should ask? Also what should I do regarding the egg eating behavior and feed now that one has started laying? Can I keep her on starter till some of my other girls start laying? There's that one baby in the mix and I don't want to mess her up by giving her calcium before she's ready.

HELP!

 

[Fancychooklady]

The first few eggs are usually a little soft, so curiosity will get the better of them and they'll have a peck at it. Problem is some hens find the habit a hard one to break. I find that a golf ball in the nest box usually discourages them. ( they give up when they get a sore beak).

 

[FrancieM]

My hens are pooping in their nest boxes. Any advice on how to stop them from doing this?? I have plenty of roosts & my coop is large for the 14 hens I have. They are about ready to start laying & I'm worried about all the poop in the boxes. Thanks

 

[spikennipper]

Sounds like they are sleeping in the nest boxes and not on the roost at night? if this is the case just put a couple of bricks in the nest boxes over night and this should deter them from roosting in them, remove the bricks in the morning so they can go in to lay should they wish.

 

[vodkalady]

an ice cream bucket is good to water my 14 chicks? thanks for any info...they will not drown or anything? i give them acv in their water and nned a plastic container to do so

 

[FrancieM]

Thanks. I did put a large stone in the nest boxes. My hens aren't old enough to start laying yet, but I didn't want them to get in the habit of pooping & laying in the same place. I'm just learning all this & I'm having fun. Also, I had bought a barred rock chick as a hen & Suzy ended up being a Stanley. Does anyone know where I can purchase older pullets??