When do chickens start laying eggs?

[Oldallamerican]

Back in February my wife and I bought four Barred Rock, two Rhode Island Red, two Red Leghorn, and two Cornish Rock hens back in February with two RIR Roos (which I kind of think was a mistake). Our Leghorns started laying by the end of May and by mid-June we were pulling eight to ten eggs a day from our nesting boxes.

We put all the hens on layer feed as soon as we started getting eggs. The only glitch we had was when they started laying in a hay bale I'd placed in the coop to keep it out of the rainy summer weather instead of the nesting boxes. Now I check both the boxes and the bale because there will be eggs there.

We have four Easter Eggers and nine Silver and Gold-laced Wyandottes with a Buff Orpington, White Rock, and Mixed Wyandotte born on June 1, they are isolated from the "big girls" and the roos until they grow a bit more, but I wouldn't be surprised to find an egg out there when I go check on them any day now. But I wonder whether having roos with my first batch might have sped up the process of egg production?

 

[andiD]

I got 8 chicks in September, 4 Plymouth Rocks and 4 Buff Orphingtons. They are about 4 months old. No eggs as yet from them. I noticed that the Plymouth Rocks combs and wattles are beginning to grow and are turning a bright red. At least two of them are. I assume those two are about ready to start laying? The Buff Orphingtons seem to be a bit behind, their combs and wattles are barely grown. Soo....I suspect that will be probably another two months on them at least? Is that the case with the Orphingtons, they are later to start laying? Have been trying to come up with some laying nests. Since I am 70 years old and a widow, am not going to be able to make laying nests out of wood, any suggestions on what to use for nests? Don't want to put a lot of money into store bought nests...... Thanks for your thoughts......

 

[Oldallamerican]

I built nesting boxes adjacent to my roosting area and off the ground to discourage predators but I discovered hens will find a spot THEY like and lay there. I had a pile of hay I was using for floor cover set up in a corner that was a bit higher off the floor and several of my girls decided they'd rather use that than make the climb to the nesting boxes. I figured let it go as long as I knew where they were leaving their eggs and the eggs were safe. Right now I'm trying to figure out why my girls are off but the two I found today were in that haystack in the corner. So what I'm saying is if you can't build a big fancy nesting box as long as the hens have a fairly private place where they can sit undisturbed and the eggs can land without getting broken it's okay. Maybe even a box with some hay or wood shaving in it? Hope this gives you some food for thought.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I built nesting boxes adjacent to my roosting area and off the ground to discourage predators but I discovered hens will find a spot THEY like and lay there. I had a pile of hay I was using for floor cover set up in a corner that was a bit higher off the floor and several of my girls decided they'd rather use that than make the climb to the nesting boxes. I figured let it go as long as I knew where they were leaving their eggs and the eggs were safe. Right now I'm trying to figure out why my girls are off but the two I found were in that haystack in the corner. So what I'm saying is if you can't build a big fancy nesting box as long as the hens have a fairly private place where they can sit undisturbed and the eggs can land without getting broken it's okay. Maybe even a box with some hay or wood shaving in it? Hope this gives you some food for thought.

Nest boxes are for human convenience, not because hens want or need them (they do need/want *a* place to lay, but that doesn't have to be the box) -- the simple fact is that the nest boxes encourage the hens to deposit their eggs in a consolidated location that is easily accessible to the person gathering them. A hen will seek out a place that suits her, which is why you try to make nest boxes inviting from a hen's perspective.

 

[desertrocks]

We have a mixed pen of former free rangers and penned birds. The free rangers are very resourceful and have built multiple nests in out of the way places behind things. There are a couple different boxes which the others seem to prefer.
There is a ground nest behind the cage that this repurposed fish tank is sitting on.
Also hoping that the Brahma in the tank is going broody as she seems to be taking control of the tank.

 

[SallyEdwards]

At 27 weeks my americauna finally laid her first egg. She put it right in the nesting box. She's been laying for a week now and we've gotten 5 eggs total. She puts them in the nesting box every time - it's so amazing! It makes you wonder how they know to do that. Each egg I get seems like a small miracle. Here's a picture of her first egg.

That is a huge first egg lol

 

[Ruddy]

iI have 20 week old BO and JG's, will I see eggs before the snow flies?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

iI have 20 week old BO and JG's, will I see eggs before the snow flies?

Yes,depending on how soon it snow, lol

 

[Ruddy]

I hope it's not till Feb. I drive a truck for a living?

 

[sspyder124]

milk crates work great for nesting boxes