19 and a half weeks old and still no eggs :( egg countdown anyone??

[NoZolbitty]

What's the egg song? Are you being silly or is there a noise they make?

I know you've been patiently waiting for your first eggs and are thinking 19 weeks is way past due, but I have an Ancona that is 50 weeks old and she STILL hasn't laid an egg! UGH!
No she isn't internally laying or externally laying or hiding her stash or susceptible to red pepper and vinegar treatments. I've tried all the tricks, she isn't falling for anyof them. Her comb is large and floppy, and she will squat as she's mounted often by the roosters. I think she's holding out for her one year anniversary in two weeks.
Of course that's not the norm, most of my layers started between 19 and 24 weeks old, with the earliest being the White Leghorn coming in just shy of her 19th week birthday.

You know it might be useful to take her to a vet

 

[misskeeter]

Mine are 14 weeks old. I'm anxious for things to start, but I know I have another month or so.

 

[IndyBlue]

My girls are 19 weeks today!! Waiting for eggs too!! Any signs that they might start to lay eggs??

 

[chicknlove]

My girls are 19 weeks today!! Waiting for eggs too!! Any signs that they might start to lay eggs??

The girls might get a little rowdy. They may squat before you. Their face and comb become a darker red. They may start to check out the nesting area more. just a few things. They could also do all these things and have a couple weeks yet. IT'S AN AGONIZING WAIT!

 

[chickenteacher2]

This is such a happy thread, compared to the ones about torn wattles and hawk activity I've had to read lately!

We have three roos and two happy but ah possibly anxious looking hens, leghorns and an RIR, all hatched together, and 16 weeks as of 8/5. So far it's been peaceful, but I may eventually swap a rooster or two for another hen for the morale of the coop. We are really attached to two of the three, though, so it won't be easy.

These are my first birds and they range in the backyard during the day, so I'm looking forward to going on egg hunts with my daughters soon. (Can there be any dignity in a 47 yr old peering hopefully under bushes several times a day for eggs?!) I've been really surprised at how much having chickens has given meaning to pasttimes like egg hunts, counting your chickens before they're hatched, getting hackles up, and whatever! We didn't deliberately time them to hatch at Easter... it was more like we timed them for the school science fair, and just got lucky. Keeping them feels as familiar to me as it does strange, and as frightening as it is joyful.

Thanks for all the information about what to watch for. I'm going out to find some wooden decoy eggs today... a friend said they sell them at Michael's. It's harder to come by chicken gear in NJ suburbia so congratulate yourselves if you don't have to cross highways to find eggs! : )

I'm 36, no kids and I thoroughly enjoy the egg hunt EVERY day! And I get just as surprised when I find them as I did as a kid. LOVE IT!

 

[vjwilmoth]

What a great thread!

We just got our first egg Thursday from our 17 week old Isa Brown. I was shocked when my dh called me to the coop. We hadn't even opened the nest boxes yet because I wasn't thinking we'd have a layer this soon especially with the heat.

I have 2 SLW and a Black Australorp the same age that I'm waiting on. Then 3 EEs that are 16 weeks old.

 

[Pngzv]

Got are first egg on Monday morning then two more by noon!!! I have two chickens 18 weeks which just laid and 6 more a month younger.. 17 eggs total this week. Only 2 in frig! Yep there tasty.

 

[Pngzv]

My chicken have always been friendly but not held. After they laid there first egg all of them even the ones not laying want held will actually run up to me and lay down at my feet to be picked up!!has anyone experienced this? What's going on??

 

[IndyBlue]

My girls are very friendly...I sit in the coop with them and play! They will let me pick them up and cuddle with them! My husband thinks I've lost my mind!! They have been a little more "active" but didn't think anything of it! Thanks for the great advise!!

 

[chicklover3]

Ours didn't start laying til 20 weeks, so it's normal