First Egg Countdown

[TerryH]

We got our first egg yesterday and #2 today. Our pack leader, Laverne a Black Australorp is the one. We found her on the nest when we got home today. She was 23 weeks to the day when she laid the egg.



I went to much effort to build fancy sliding nest boxes under the poop tray so my wife Cheryl could slide the nests out to gather the eggs but she was so excited that she just dove under to retrieve it. lol



She is one happy lady.

 

[Kyanite]

Hah! Love your wife's excitement to get the eggs,even in her nice dress!

Our chicky-doodles are 19 weeks today and we got the first egg from one of the easter Eggers yesterday. The australorps have been singing the egg sing for weeks and look very ready, but nothing. The silver laced wyandottes have really developed their combs in the last week. Really reddening up, so maybe soon with them too.

 

[mechanic57]

Not my first eggs, but they are my first dark eggs! My Copper Marans and Welsummers have begun to lay and I'm so excited!

 

[Kyanite]

Oooooohhhhh, beautiful dark eggs. I'm jealous. Those breeds are on my wish list.

 

[Marianne25]

My first egg ever today! From Blossom ("Golden Nugget"); 20.5 weeks old.

 

[jolenew]

Morning! My girls are 21 weeks and are huge! I have no eggs and I'm getting nervous that I won't get any. They are making more noise but I'm not seeing any squatting. My coop nesting boxes they constantly kick out the straw so I'm wondering that could be an issue. I let them out daily to free range but usually only a short time as we have a large hawk around so I have to watch them. Any advice??

[/IMG]

 

[cpait]

No eggs yet

I'm starting to worry I've done something wrong. My girls are 23 weeks old. I have Delaware Dorking mixes. I'm a first timer living in SW Virginia. They are happy and healthy. I have been feeding them layer feed for about four weeks. Hey have a full bucket of clean water with nipples and I place a water bowl out in their free ranging area twice a day. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?

 

[carlf]

No eggs yet

I'm starting to worry I've done something wrong. My girls are 23 weeks old. I have Delaware Dorking mixes. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?

No, nothing wrong.
18-24 weeks is a good standard but chickens will lay when they get good and ready, and not a minute before no matter what the book says. (Chickens cant read books so they don't now the standards).

Have they started squatting?
Combs bright red yet?
Egg Song practice?

These are the signs they are close. Otherwise, just enjoy and be patient.

 

[carlf]

Getting close.
These are my 3 Silver Leghorn roo x Amercauana hen mixes my broody hen hatched.
Hatched May 12th/13th, so we are at 19 weeks.
They stopped scratching in the nest boxes well over a week ago.
Combs just started changing from pink to red the last two days.
One practiced the egg song a few times.
I figure they are at least 2 weeks from first lay.







My broody BR, Little Hen:

Dominant hen, BR, "Momma Hen". Shes going through a soft molt, no eggs from her lately.

 

[cpait]

No, nothing wrong.
 18-24 weeks is a good standard but chickens will lay when they get good and ready, and not a minute before no matter what the book says. (Chickens cant read books so they don't now the standards). 

Have they started squatting?
Combs bright red yet?
Egg Song practice?

These are the signs they are close. Otherwise, just enjoy and be patient.