How to know when my chickens are going to lay

[Tropical Chick]

I bought my three pullets from Tractor Supply and figured they were hatched about March 31st give or take a day. They were supposed to be RIR, but I think they are something else, but I don't care. I think they are the most beautiful hens ever. I was not expecting eggs until Labor Day, but whoopie! I went out to the hen house last week and found three eggs in a nesting box. I don't know how long they had been in there, so I scrambled them and gave them to the dog. I think just the one with the really red wattles is laying because I found her on the nest yesterday afternoon. She has laid me two more with a couple of days in between. Today, I had just clear slime in the box. Now another hen may be trying to lay her first egg or the first laying hen may be having some adjustment issues to her egg laying process. Nevertheless, I am so exited I shared my egg story with my friends who all think I have gone completely out of my mind with the whole chicken thing. My one friend says when she dies she wants to be reincarnated as a chicken and come live at the Chicken Ritz Coop in my backyard......

 

[Kaybug137]

I love your story : ) I just for now have one hen laying, I've got 10 girls 1 Roo. I still try to keep the one whom is laying from pecking her egg, still no singing yet guess I'll wait for that when shes not like ''what just came out of me!'' I feel like some people think I'm a bit crazy about my chickens LOL but I love them XD It's amazing to get to watch them lay too, pretty cool at that specially the first egg. I've got one flying duck, the other duck is a bit chubby, but understandable because of her one foot.



P.S if you'd like to add me on facebook just let me know : ) ~ Happy Hens~

 

[GoDSpeeD]

Hi. Im new here from las vegas and i just got chickens a few months ago. While im still waitiing on my first egg i dont remember when i got my hens. I got thirteen of em and am really enjoying hanging out with em. Some are really quarky. List has follows:

2 barred rocks - black and white
2 dominiques - black and white
2 Well Sommers
7 americanas

BTW the barred rocks are very calm and sweet birds

And ways. Can somone guess ages by looking at size.

 

[Kaybug137]

Hmm .. I can't tell what age by looking yet. Maybe I can, if you could please post some photos I can try my best wont be accurate just a guess though

 

[Kaybug137]

Also, I had marked the dates on calender on when I got my girls. And Boy

 

[chefchick]

My "new babies"- born 3/16 are SLW. I thin there are three of them out of the 12 laying so far. So, they don't necessarily all start at the same time. My other chickens started laying 18-20 weeks. They are mixed breeds of WL, BA, RIR and RSL...

 

[Kaybug137]

Congrats on the babies I believe that one of my other girls are going to lay real soon~ I have to 5 month old ( I thought they were younger ) are I believe getting ready, they're small though confused cause the Feed store said they were Silver Laces, but I think they're sussex's

 

[Kaybug137]

Will their combs and waddles always get pale before they lay? And do I have to give oyster shells right away, parents are a out of money for I think a few weeks.. What can I give her until we can by some layer feed and oyster shell?

 

[Angie8eggs]

You can give them some scrambled eggs, yogurt, little bit of bread, veggie scraps, some shredded cheese, find them some worms or bugs. Do they free range outside?

 

[Kaybug137]

Free rangeing them everyday XD They like to climb the trees which curve down. I think if I were to give bread my ducks would try to eat it to and I hear thats bad for them.