When Do Hens Start Laying?/Share Your Laying Experiences

[BarbParks]

I have 2 chickens, mine are Orpington's, one black and white, the other is red. I had never had chickens before but decided to give it a try. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my chickens. They just started laying last week, I'm getting 2 eggs a day! I was ecstatic, only 1 egg, but I took picture's of it and sent it to my boyfriend, who has chickens, himself, he just shakes his head, and tells everyone that my chickens are DIVA's! He's right! They don't have a chicken coop, they have a chicken condo! I feed them crumbles and a little scratch, and throw in some dehydrated millworm treats. Now they are laying, should I be feeding them something else? Someone mentioned I should also be feeding some type of crushed oyster suppliment. But I don't know. So please help!

Not sure how to add something to my post, so tell me if I am doing it wrong......UPDATE in my chickens!! I went out to check on them this morning, and figured I'd get another 2 eggs..OH HECK NO, there were 3!! I collected eggs yesterday, never heard of getting more than 1 a day! 2 chickens and 3 eggs! Somebody is working overtime! LOL!!

 

[pnutj58]

The age at which a pullet starts laying must have something to do with breed, as well as light and all that. I got a six-month old pullet September 10th, last year (2013), which was not yet laying. I already had a four-month old, which I got at 1-day old, so I KNOW how old she is for sure. The guy at the feed store assured me she'd start laying six months from then. Well, October, November, and December came and went and I was sure that they were not laying because I chose not to augment their lighting and it was the middle of winter -- short days. Then, in the dead of winter (January 5th), at the ripe old age of 10 months, the older girl laid her first egg. I figured it would be two more months before the younger one started, but it was only within the following two or three weeks. So, one started at 10 months, the other at about 8 1/2 months. My hens are Dark Brahmas. They're known to be late bloomers and good winter layers. But, when I read of people on these forums who wait anxiously for their hens to start laying at 4, 5 or 6 months, I have to chuckle. Imagine doing that for an extra four months before the first egg arrives. I actually didn't wait anxiously. As we headed into winter, I just figured they'd start laying when they started laying, and that was that.

 

[mychickchick]

So sorry I meant to say they are about 4 and a half months I rechecked dates when she laid her egg guess I got a bit excited! !

 

[sammy7100]

They look my buff orphington when she was younger. She's now 5 1/2 months old and isn't laying yet. I'm hoping any day now.

 

[olbupp]

Silver Laced Wyandottes hatched March 12, 2014 and got our first egg on Thur. Aug. 14 but found it cracked...next 3 days I've gotten one egg a day! So that is 22 weeks old...I think it's only one of my two hens laying and I've got 2 others that are 3 weeks younger....so hopefully everyone will be laying by end of September.
From what I can tell, the egg is being laid around 11am....

 

[JadedPhoenix]

My Ameraucana/Lavender Orpington cross laid her first egg yesterday at 22 and a half weeks old. She laid a pale beige egg that was the second largest of all of my currently laying hens' eggs. It was very tasty!!

 

[grammagretal]

when I did my calculations, I expected eggs around the first or second week of August...imagine my surprise when I was cleaning out the night area of the coop and found 3 little brown eggs, in mid July!....a small white egg began to appear, not as frequently as the browns, and was followed by a quirky looking pinkish one. my two isa browns are fully 2 weeks older than the other 3....I mention this because to me it's a bit of a crap shoot...I have heard that younger hens will try to catch up to the older, but didn't know if that was a wives tale (old or otherwise), but am hoping my personal experience sheds some light.....two of them were sold to me as 'Pullets', they are a buttery white, and the other is a black sex link, and she is golden speckeld and black with purple legs...she was so tiny! but is catching up....also my first flock in a very long time.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Anybody know if banties start laying earlier than lf? I have 3 phoenix crosses in my first batch, they're all about 12 weeks old. The phoenixes were the first to get feathers and the fastest to mature compared to the others. In fact, they're just about as big as their aunt whereas the others are still half the size of their respective moms. Would they start laying earlier than the usual 16-20 weeks?

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Actually, banties tend to be later. I have 25 week old banties who have yet to start. 16-20 weeks would only be for the hybrids I believe like the production breeds. Most would start a little after that anyway. I was happy when one of mine started at 23 weeks.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Interesting... When I acquired my phoenixes last summer, most were still chicks but I didn't know what age and they started laying around September. I guess we'll see... I know the strain I got originated from a breeder that breeds for both show and production. Well, I guess we'll see... I'll post back when they start laying and with age. Aside from the black one that still has white flight feather tips (dads were BA and fBCM), the other two already appear fully grown!