Ideas for when my hens will start laying???

[RIredlady]

So my chicks were about a week old the last week of April. A family member and I brought chicks home from the same place on the same day. His chickens have began laying, where at the moment I have not found/seen any pullets. I was told I should begin seeing pullets or eggs around mid October when they would be about 6 months old. I did end up with a rooster in my flock, where he only had hens. Would the rooster factor into why my girls aren't laying yet?

 

[carlf]

No rooster being present is not a factor.
All hens are different, age for first lay is 18-26 weeks. Some don't start even longer than that.
Just make sure they are well fed, lots of water and otherwise well taken care of.

BTW, a "pullet" is a hen that is less than 1 year old. So I hope you've been seeing pullets. Otherwise you have a run full of cockerels.

 

[RIredlady]

I was misinformed as to what a pulley is hahaha! Yes I've got 5 hens and 1 angry rooster. He's consistently attempting or completing the dirty deed with the hens

 

[carlf]

He should calm down once he gets out of puberty and matures .
If he is aggressive towards you, there are lots of threads about managing an aggressive roo.

Are your hens squatting for him? If so, they are close to laying.

 

[chickens really]

Red combs and wattles will be your first clue...submitting to the Rooster is a sign also but could take place weeks before the first egg...I have an entire new flock this year so no eggs yet...Hatched out May 11th....I have a couple of pullets interested in the nest boxes but not expecting any eggs for a couple of weeks yet....Silly girls are just playing house right now...

Best advise is they will lay when they are ready....

Cheers!

 

[RIredlady]

I've been asserting dominance towards the rooster (Larry when he's good, Larold when he's a brat) and it seems to be working ok. I figured his aggression is part of maturity. I have a few hens with very red wattles and combs. When you say squatting, do you mean allowing him to violate them?

 

[chickens really]

Well not violate them really....Breeding yes....Just nature....

Good luck

 

[Isaac 0]

I got mine around the same time as you and mine are starting to squat a course everyone's chicken aren't going to lay at the same time but look out for these signs

*Squatting for you or your Rooster
*Comb,Wattle get big dark red
*They will begin to check out he nesting boxes
*Pelvic bones begin to separate
*They become territorial over the nesting boxes
*Louder more annoying

Hope you get a egg soon good luck

 

[RIredlady]

I was using violate as a nicer term

. But ok. Half of the girls are definitely squatting so hopefully I'll start finding eggs soon.

 

[mamatink7]

I got mine around the same time as you and mine are starting to squat a course  everyone's chicken aren't going to lay at the same time but look out for these signs

*Squatting for you or your Rooster
*Comb,Wattle get big dark red
*They will begin to check out he nesting boxes
*Pelvic bones begin to separate
*They become territorial over the nesting boxes
*Louder more annoying

Hope you get a egg soon good luck

I'm copying this.
The squatting when you walk by them or even to Roo, ours don't squat to him but they do for us. It's awesome! The dark red is also depends on breed, our black australorps have been dark red for a few wks but no squatting even though vents on a couple are moist.