17 weeks old. Some questions.

[noelleaiello]

I am a first timer. I've been wondering when they will lay eggs and what I should put in the nesting boxes. How will they know to go in there. Also, I have a feeling one of my hens is a rooster. I live in city limits and can't keep them. People I know have offered to take any roosters but they want to eat them.

 

[RonC]

Five to six months as a general rule they will start laying. Some will start earlier and some later depending on breed and time of year. I put indoor/outdoor carpet in my nest box. Some use hay or pine shavings. You can buy ceramic eggs to put in the nest boxes if they don't naturally want to use them. I used golf balls to train mine. The ceramic eggs or golf balls will also deter them from pecking at the eggs when they do start. You don't want them to taste the inside of their eggs, they will probably like them then you have real problems. You will have to deal with roosters as your conscious allows. I'd wait till you know for sure it's a rooster before getting rid of it.

 

[ChickNanny13]

What breed? Age? Looks to be an Orpington about 16+wk? If it is, it's a pullet, Orpingtons take longer to mature, I'd say about 8 - 9 months for the first egg. Their comb & wattles get dark red, they tend to squat when you try to grab them, you can feel their pelvic bone spacing (never tried that). I use pine shaving in my nest box, you could put a fake egg/golf ball in the nest when it's time. Enjoy

 

[Mrs Howey]

Im new to chickens as well. Mine are between 16 and 17 weeks old. I've read that chickens can start laying between 6 months and one year of age. I have 11 chickens, 7 of which are roosters. . . All my roosters crow, they have long skinny pointed hackle and saddle feathers, and all have the bright red combs and waddles. The chicken in your picture looks like my hens. The hackle and saddle feathers look rounded. My guess would be hen.

 

[RonC]

I had one Wyandotte start as young as four months and my BO was the last at almost 8 months. You are over run with roo's Mrs Howey.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The youngest I've had pullets start laying has been 16 weeks. I've had some wait over 9 months. I've only had a couple of Orpington, they started around 18 and 20 weeks. No one can really tell you when they will start to lay and be sure, it varies way too much by the individual even in the same breed.

We use all kinds of things in the nests, wood shavings or flakes, hay, straw, Spanish moss, carpet, rags, shredded paper, even cloth feed bags. The chickens don't care about what you use as much as some people do. To me what you use needs to be relative inexpensive and available. Try something and if you don't like it, try something different.

My suggestion is to have the nests open now and put a fake egg in it. I also use golf balls but those ceramic or stone eggs work too. Some people use plastic Easter eggs but they are pretty light. You should put something like sand in those to add weight if you use them and glue them shut.

The grey one looks like a pullet to me. With that red comb and wattles she may not be very far away from laying.

 

[Mrs Howey]

I had one Wyandotte start as young as four months and my BO was the last at almost 8 months. You are over run with roo's Mrs Howey.

I bought them at tractor supply. I ended up with 5 different breeds (all bantums). I knew they were straight run, but i found a breeder im going to buy from next year. Im still trying to choose which rooster to keep for breeding and the rest will be butchered.

 

[noelleaiello]

What breed? Age? Looks to be an Orpington about 16+wk? If it is, it's a pullet, Orpingtons take longer to mature, I'd say about 8 - 9 months for the first egg. Their comb & wattles get dark red, they tend to squat when you try to grab them, you can feel their pelvic bone spacing (never tried that). I use pine shaving in my nest box, you could put a fake egg/golf ball in the nest when it's time. Enjoy

It's a blue Andalusian.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Love the coloring never had one but have seen pictures. I'm familiar with Orpingtons, Wynadottes, RIR & EEs, I'm allowed only 6 hens . How old?
From what I can see of the feathering (saddle & hackle), don't look Cockerel to me and the comb is pink but alot depends on the age, still think Pullet.

 

[Hazel acres]

We have 3 buff Orpingtons and they have been laying since they were 20 weeks old. Our barred rock and 2 speckled Sussex are only 16 weeks old so nothing yet. We use pine shavings and white ceramic eggs in their nest boxes.