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

[Rhoise]

some hen take 2 years to start laying

Really? OMG I hope I don't have to wait that long! I picked all dual purpous breeds, and a few sex links, so they would lay this year........I was told the RIR were pretty hardy, and heat tolerant, and I grew up in Rhode Island so .........

 

[Rhoise]

Still waiting for My new hens to start laying. I do have 2 Ameracaucanas I bought that were already laying and decided to let the one hen hatch them out. Now I have no eggs...LOL. Does anyone know if the other hens will continue to lay if one is sitting on eggs?

How old are the new hens and what breed? I think the other hens should lay as usual, don't think a setting hen will cause them to stop for any reason.

 

[Debs55]

i've been getting anywhere between 5 and 8 eggs a day lately still cant wait for them all to start laying!!

 

[B J Hopkins]

Okay since I was on last, Piper laid an egg. I can officially say "we have an egg"!!!

It is a speckled medium egg...Piper is a Prod Red (I think).
I noticed everything calmed down and saw she was out standing in the chicken pool, so I went and looked, (thinking it will be tomorrow) and there it was. Yeah!!! Post a pic later!!

Now anyone have an suggestions on how to store them?? There has been so much debate, wash them don't wash them, but in refrig, don't but in frig, just lay on counter, etc.
Anyone??

Also, eat egg or let her lay and hatch more naturally. Meaning I have no incubator or prepared to set one up...decisions, decisions???? Has anyone let a chicken just do her thing when it comes to laying and hatching naturally?? Tips??

Your young girls won't be ready to go Broody right away. Some of my Blue Cochins went Broody 6 weeks after starting to lay. My BO's are 9 months old and now are raising their chicks. some of my chickens are over 2yrs old and have not been broody yet. Don't set eggs aside for hatching until one of them goes Broody, any where from a couple months from now to a year or so.

 

[flowerchic]

Your young girls won't be ready to go Broody right away. Some of my Blue Cochins went Broody 6 weeks after starting to lay. My BO's are 9 months old and now are raising their chicks. some of my chickens are over 2yrs old and have not been broody yet. Don't set eggs aside for hatching until one of them goes Broody, any where from a couple months from now to a year or so.

Thank you, glad I asked. I guess I am getting a little ahead of myself and Piper.
Might want to slow down a bit uh, it is her first egg...

 

[PoultryGirly]

My 22 week old barred rock hen was squatting a few days ago, but now she is not. What's going on?

 

[jkraze]

Okay since I was on last, Piper laid an egg. I can officially say "we have an egg"!!!

It is a speckled medium egg...Piper is a Prod Red (I think).
I noticed everything calmed down and saw she was out standing in the chicken pool, so I went and looked, (thinking it will be tomorrow) and there it was. Yeah!!! Post a pic later!!

Now anyone have an suggestions on how to store them?? There has been so much debate, wash them don't wash them, but in refrig, don't but in frig, just lay on counter, etc.
Anyone??

Also, eat egg or let her lay and hatch more naturally. Meaning I have no incubator or prepared to set one up...decisions, decisions???? Has anyone let a chicken just do her thing when it comes to laying and hatching naturally?? Tips??

I only wash ours when they're particularly dirty...we DO store them in the 'fridge, however. They'll last longer that way.

Our Australorps (3 out of 6, anyway) have been laying for about 3 weeks now, but they only weigh 1 1/2 ounces, usually. Had one yesterday that was 1 3/4 oz, just big enough to be classified as medium size.

 

[blondiebee181]

My 22 week old barred rock hen was squatting a few days ago, but now she is not. What's going on?

Meh, probably nothing. They don't always squat all the time. Mine doesn't always all the time. Make sure you are checking any and all spots she might lay BESIDES in the nest box just to make sure she isn't laying them away somewhere else.

 

[marlo1968]

The first two easter egger eggs, on the right an egg from one of my red star hens, just for size comparison.
The easter eggers have started laying, I have at least two laying, I got two green eggs today, one about the size of a leghorn egg, the other a smaller egg like the two pictured. They are 19 and 1/2 weeks now.

A funny thing is going on here....so far I've gotten 4 larger eggs and 4 smaller eggs from the EE hens that have started laying. ALL the larger eggs were double yolks, smaller eggs were single yolks. No more green eggs for 2 days now. But got a white egg from a new layer, it was smaller and must have snuck up on her or she doesn't yet believe she should lay in a nest as it was found on top of a bale of hay in the haystack.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Back with pics! I'm just thrilled! It was around 4:30 when I went downstairs to grab something. No.Joke...I just knew. I immediately got on my sandals and went out the back door for no reason, checked the boxes and there it was! Our very first egg, laid by Scarlett my RIR who is the only one that has ever checked out the rabbit hutch nest box or gone inside to root around. They're super tiny, didn't even move my egg scale, Peewee Eggs! I brought it in to show all our company and of course all the big kids ran around to all the neighbors to tell them and soon we had quite a crowd. They all went home and I took a picture or so, put the egg in the fridge and got busy again with DDs birthday stuff. An hour after the first find I went out to say hi to the girls and say "Good job!" and my nephew says there's another egg but he doesn't know if it's a dummy or real. Sure enough there was a new, fresh, warm, tiny egg in the coop nest box! Here's the pics
#1, laid by a RIR named Scarlett

DD (turning 4 on Tuesday!) holding it She's so excited!

On the egg scale; so cute!

And then there were two! (#2 laid by a Buff Orp named Lucy)

The most expensive eggs I've ever eaten! Yup, they're already gone and they were heavenly!