what clues are there to know when a chicken is going to start laying eggs

[misskris10]

Which one is Fluff? Looks like the left one should be squatting soon.

Fluff is the one on the left. Yesterday we got 2 white eggs, so i think both my leghorn girls laid yesterday.. today we got our first brown egg!

 

[Studio2770]

Fluff is the one on the left. Yesterday we got 2 white eggs, so i think both my leghorn girls laid yesterday.. today we got our first brown egg!

So I guess Fluff is laying now, or someone laid twice which very rare, but I'd go with the former. I got confused on which one was Fluff because someone said one looked like a rooster, which would be the back one. Getting eggs is great, but getting more colors is even better!

 

[savannahm0m]

Tomorrow is the summer solstice. I predict my girls will start laying tomorrow! Longest day of the year...no more excuses!!! (They are 22 & 23 weeks old).

Whoo hoo! My girls listened! The 22 week old EE laid her first egg yesterday! I am expecting the others to follow shortly. It was a very small egg compared to the grocery store eggs, but it was nicely shaped and had a firm shell. AND IT WAS GREEN!!!!! AND she laid it in the nesting boxes (smart chickens)! I will post pics on Monday.

 

[GrahamGrant]

Is my hen ready to lay?

 

[savannahm0m]

Is my hen ready to lay?

Is that a Dominique? I have an 18 week old that has a little larger comb & wattles, and she is not laying yet, but she is squatting when I scratch her back. How old is your bird?

 

[jtn42248]

Based on her comb and wattles color I would guess not quite yet. She will get really red of face when the time comes. You may also notice some pigment change in her legs and feet just prior to starting to lay.

 

[GrahamGrant]

That's a picture from last week I think, could it change in a week?

 

[jtn42248]

That's a picture from last week I think, could it change in a week?

It could change to a redder color in a week. I zoomed in on her legs, they have some grey on them. Based on her leg color, her overall body color and barring, her comb shape overall I would guess she is a Barred Plymouth Rock. I have several of those and they have bright red combs with orange and grey legs at 19 weeks of age. My Dominique hen, also 19 weeks old, is considerably lighter in body color and has yellow legs.

My guess is that you are still a couple of weeks away from eggs. Just think how much you will enjoy that first egg being laid after all this anticipation.

 

[virgil]

Easiest way to build a nesting box is this: get an 18 gallon plastic storage tote with lid ($7); looking at the long side of tote, cut a hole in side towards one end. The hole should be the size of a sheet of notebook paper . there should be an inch or so of area left below the hole so bedding material wont fall out. The bedding material should be straw or pine shavings . Set the box in the pen where the bottom of the hole will be 16"to 20" off the ground.. This should do fine.

 

[TeaChick]

Well over here in Australia we actually have a standard for Frizzles, they are their own breed. So technically she is a cross. But her parents are a White Leghorn and another Mixed Frizzle.
Yoko's are not fantastic layers so I am not expecting her to lay until Spring.

Oh, cool! Ya learn something new everyday. =D I didn't know Leghorns could frizzle. ;-)
I like the way you Aussies do things!!! Frizzles should be a breed to themselves.

They're a variety of feathering in other breeds.
Thanks =)

One of my hens laid her first egg today. You can tell by how small it is compared to the other two. (It's the one on the right)

Congrats!!! Good move taking a picture; I didn't get a pic of my first egg. =(
But I got a pic of my favorite chicken's first egg. =)