Who else is waiting for that first egg?

[lizzychick]

My girls are 20 weeks old. Half are getting red combs and larger wattles. Still no squatting or other signs....the wait continues.....:cd

 

[ZAKS CHICKS]

Houston the egg has landed!!!

 

[Tasha1981]

I'm jealous. I'm ready for mine.

 

[Mutt Farm]

Thank you for your feedback. We blocked off their nesting boxes for a month. When we opened them, we added a bottom lip so they couldn't kick the straw out. Then, we added another perch and raised them above the boxes. We also made an automatic feeder. They get the bag of recommended seed for egg layers. Can't remember what it is, just buy what QCSUpply tells me to. We use sawdust for the poo box, different from nest and feed them treats, table scraps in the afternoon.

We also stared to let them out to free range more, but I didn't like the poop on my patio. So I am rethinking that.

We have
3 Wyandotte
4 Rhode Island Red
2 Plymouth Rock

With all the recommendations from this site. We finally have our first egg!!! So exciting! Now she is the biggest and she has been laying one per day for four days.

I need to learn more about how to properly wash store and prepare the eggs. also, one was a little cracked. That broke my heart to throw it out. Is it from her laying it? Is their diet missing something?

Thank you again for all your help!

Congrats! Here's a link that you might find useful regarding safe egg handling and storage, refrigerate or not, wash or not. http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/06/handling-and-storing-eggs.html

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Ok I have a dumb question that's not really first egg related. Is a hen cape and saddle the same thing? I was searching for saddle patterns and happened upon "hen capes". They look like someone scalped the back of a chicken. Are they ment to be used like a saddle?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Ok I have a dumb question that's not really first egg related. Is a hen cape and saddle the same thing? I was searching for saddle patterns and happened upon "hen capes". They look like someone scalped the back of a chicken. Are they ment to be used like a saddle?

Hen capes are meant to be used by folks using feathers for fly tying for fishing, and are essentially "scalps" -- saddles are entirely different.

 

[jessbe]

Ok still no eggs but what do you think.. My buffs orphingtons are 27w old and my 2 gold laced wyandotts and 3 EE's are just a week or two younger will they start laying soon. They are become very red in the face and my GLW ears and wattles are getting pronounced and the combs and wattles on my BO are getting bigger as well

 

[jessbe]

Mine are doing that too and it drives me crazy because I hand pick and air dry the tall grass that I can't reach with the mower. I only dry so much lol

Week 22 .... still waiting....... They keep pulling the straw out of the nesting boxes and strewing it around the inside of the coop!

 

[desertrocks]

The weather is finally starting to cool a bit, these 3 are 20 weeks if memory serves me and from the looks of things it shouldn't be long now. They are housed with 3 RIR's, 16 BSL's and a Black Australorp cockerel, who are 2-3 weeks older. A lot of squatting and such throughout the pen, wattles and combs are starting to get larger and coloring up.
This crew we have had since May-June so it seems like forever. We have another pen of 12 laying hens and an EE cockerel that have been here for just over 2 weeks and have settled in and are starting to become regular which tempers the anticipation somewhat but it is different when you raise them from peepers.

Oreo is keeping a close eye on things.

 

[chickenewbee]

Ok still no eggs but what do you think.. My buffs orphingtons are 27w old and my 2 gold laced wyandotts and 3 EE's are just a week or two younger will they start laying soon. They are become very red in the face and my GLW ears and wattles are getting pronounced and the combs and wattles on my BO are getting bigger as well

I don't know why none of them are laying...my Buff finally started laying at about 24 weeks. Her eggs are still a little smaller than the other girl's, but they are getting bigger as time goes on.