First Egg Likely? Even in November?

[GirlsHuntToo]

Juillet’s first egg (and our first egg) has been laid! Yay!

She laid it sometime around 9am, a beautiful medium sized brown egg, one week after she started squatting. It was so lovely I blew it out so that I could admire it forever!

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Here it is in comparison with a store bought large egg:

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It tasted remarkably like the store bought egg, lol. My husband did a blind taste test and couldn’t distinguish any difference. Still, I am glad that it tastes normal, and it clearly is healthier since I know Juillet is eating all organic feed along with lots of greens and bugs.

As to behavior, she stayed loud right up until the egg was laid. I missed her egg song unfortunately, but there will be many other opportunities I hope. I knew she was close to laying yesterday, because she started eating the eggshells I had put out for them weeks ago (along with oyster shells), whereas previously I couldn’t get her to take any interest. She also had been excited to inspect the nest boxes yesterday and this morning. Just FYI, she chose one of the large nest boxes, the one closest to the human door.

What a wonderful chicken she is, I love her dearly!

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I missed this! Congratulations!!! Great job Juillet!! I am proud of you! Keep laying those beautiful eggs! And don't worry they will get darker as she continues to lay. Give her a few months!

 

[chickenlover8969]

you might get a few but dong get discoureged if you dont get any you probaly will but you might not since they havent layed before and there going into winter when they are supplosed to start laying but once it starts to warm up your eggs will be ploppin out alot my first chickens there first eggs where in winter but they were light brahmas there egg laying sppeds up in the winter

 

[Winderdear]

I missed this! Congratulations!!! Great job Juillet!! I am proud of you! Keep laying those beautiful eggs! And don't worry they will get darker as she continues to lay. Give her a few months!

Thank you! I‘m so proud too! She even laid another egg this morning! It was smaller, but still so pretty. What a girl!

 

[Winderdear]

P.S. I've had pullets start at the end of November or even mid-December and lay through the rest of winter (in MA so cold winters). If it's this late and they are able to start, then they'll probably keep going.

That would be amazing! Fingers crossed for eggs all winter! None of my others have any signs of laying yet, beyond the bright red combs and wattles, but maybe Juillet will motivate them.

 

[Winderdear]

you might get a few but dong get discoureged if you dont get any you probaly will but you might not since they havent layed before and there going into winter when they are supplosed to start laying but once it starts to warm up your eggs will be ploppin out alot my first chickens there first eggs where in winter but they were light brahmas there egg laying sppeds up in the winter

Thanks for your reply! I did end up with one chicken who started laying yesterday!

So far, the others aren’t showing any signs of starting to lay. I wouldn’t blame them if they wanted to wait until spring though. I’m amazed my Cuckoo Marans started this late in the year!

 

[Winderdear]

This is not at all uncommon for new layers.
No need for the calcium citrate if they are eating the oyster shells.
Just be patient, it can take up to a month for things to smooth out.

Wonderful! Thank you for letting me know, I was stressing about it! I did buy the calcium citrate, and let all four pullets share a 500mg pill broken into small pieces. I’ll hold off on giving them any more for now.

Thanks again, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you, and all the lovely BYC people out there!

 

[Mrs. K]

Is this not just ridiculously fun. I have had chickens for decades, and I am giving my pullets the look, "are you getting close? Hmm, how old are you?" Counting the months AGAIN.

 

[Jabber315]

Hello all! My four girls are 22 weeks today received as day old chicks on 6/13. My Cuckoo Marans, Juillet, has become much more vocal this past week and is squatting when we go to pet her. She always crouched and tried to slink away, but now she sometimes just stands still and gets really flat all of a sudden when I get close. I assume this means eggs are imminent, but how soon? Because of how late it is in the year, I assumed I wouldn’t get eggs until the days lengthened. Is it possible for her to have this behavior and still not lay an egg until next year, or does this behavior mean she will lay for me sooner rather than later? We aren’t using supplemental light, if that’s relevant. I’m honestly a little terrified for them to start laying in case they have some issue, but I’m the worrying type.

Here are some pictures of my flock from a couple days ago. Feel free to guess when they’ll lay their first egg! I’ll be sure to update when they do!

Juillet (Cuckoo Marans):
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Août (Blue Cuckoo Marans):
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Mei (Welsummer):
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Juin (Dominique):
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P.S. Aren’t they just lovely to look at?

You have some beauties, for sure!! I have 4 Brahma hens, and 1 roo! All Hatched between Jan-March 2023.... 1st laying hen started in mid- September. There was another from same hatch that didn't start laying until last week!! The other 2, are 1-2 months younger and both started laying on the same day, 2 days ago . I thought for sure, the 3 wouldn't start until spring. We don't give extra lighting, either and live in Ohio!

 

[Winderdear]

We have a few about those measurements, then down on the end we have one big one probably the equivalent of 3 of them. We did that because these silkies want to sleep in the nest boxes so we gave them a giant one and they use it, but still go lay in the nest boxes too. Rarely do they lay in that big one, but they have. I beat them at their own game and put horse pellets in all of them. They didn't mind! Dang chickens! Well, at least I have cleaner eggs now and the only maintenance is stirring them once a week or so.

Interesting, thanks for sharing! We use horse pellets for our cat box, so we always have some around. I may have to try them in the nest box!

 

[Winderdear]

Quick update: No eggs yet, but Juillet (my Cuckoo Marans who has been squatting for me) seems to be really hot all the time. She is frequently panting and holding her shoulders away from her body to cool herself down. Is this behavior related to a rush of hormones? She has always gotten hot very easily (I assume because she is black and extremely fluffy), but it’s been cool outside yet she’s behaving like it’s the height of summer. Should I give her some electrolytes?