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

[Nelson-90]

AAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA YEP THAT'D WORK HAHAHHAHAHAHA cool is that a candler?? looks like a full moon to dance around he he...

jaajajajajajaj great idea rigth it migth be fun if it worked that way and no its not a candler its one of those tiny LED flash ligth they work pretty well for their size

 

[bruceha2000]

This is just meant as a funny story, but we received our three naked neck pullets not knowing exactly how old they were. After two months they had developed their combs and started making nests, so we knew it was going to be any day. Well as I do, I was sitting in the coop with my wine spritzer and book, reading. I wasn't paying attention and before I knew it, one of the girls got a gulp of the wine-two days later -our first egg!!

Ah, the secret is revealed! I'm going to put wine in their water. But, to be fair to them, I'll wait until they are at least 18 weeks, maybe 20. Any earlier and I might "prove" it doesn't really work.

 

[bruceha2000]

Please! He's trying to explain to me why we need 20 more chicks in September, a bunch of heritage turkeys, and that Red Star rooster getting kicked out of town my sister just messaged me about. Help!

Sounds like you opened Pandora's box when you said "we should raise some chickens"!!

 

[bruceha2000]

Those first eggs seem bewildering to the girls. They seem to fall out of them where ever they happen to be at the time ("What was THAT?").

That is only reasonable I think. With no mama to explain "the facts of life", it is surely "boy do I NOT feel right today. HEY! What the heck was that??". I'm amazed at all that comes naturally to them.

Wonder if you have a brown egg layer if you need to put a brown decoy egg in or if the white golf ball i have in will work.? Anybody know? Mine have been laying a week and have used a nest twice ,the run and the coop wire floor.Put this new nest box in with a golf ball in it,they got in, kicked out the straw and left.

Since they have been laying, they know what color they lay. Do all of your lays brown or do you get some white eggs as well. I suspect it is a stretch, but I suppose if they saw white eggs in the nest, they MIGHT think, "mine must go somewhere else".

Maybe they just aren't used to straw? What is on the coop floor? if shavings, maybe they would prefer that in the nest boxes? I was thinking it might be GOOD to have straw in the nest boxes because it is NOT what mine normally wander around in. Give them the idea that THIS is for walking and pooing on, THAT is for laying eggs in.

Probably too much anthropomorphizing. Maybe we should ask Temple Grandin. That woman has an amazing understanding of animals.

Bruce

 

[wbarb19]

Is there any way to tell if your girl is about to lay an egg? Wasn't sure if there any signs to look for...

 

[bruceha2000]

Hmmm, I kind of like the whole dog house idea. I should get one and figure out how to coax the ladies to lay there

Given, as I've been told, that chickens are like cats and will do (or NOT) whatever we want in their own sweet time, maybe you need to put the doghouse out and NOT try to get them to use it. Keep putting them in the nest boxes and they might go find the doghouse on their own.

 

[bruceha2000]

LOL I feel the same way! No eggs, no squatting, no interest in the nesting boxes, -- 17wks old and counting . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I think that 17.5 weeks is pretty darned early for MOST birds. I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist just yet. I'm figuring most likely 20 weeks at the earliest and would be happy to be surprised by one going early and wouldn't be surprised by having to wait until 24. HOPEFULLY no longer than that for "first" egg. I do have 6 breeds and I think some are slower maturing that others so even 24 weeks might be early for them.

 

[bruceha2000]

layed an egg SO BIG this morning that I couldn't fit it in the egg carton! I couldn't close the lid! And she went on and on about that jumbo egg too!

Begooooook!!!!

You can't blame her for being proud of such a big egg!

 

[bruceha2000]

Okay, I'm feeling a little left out of the picture since mine are 23 & 19 weeks old. I thought for sure they would lay while I was on vacation, not!

You did ask people to send "hold the eggs" wishes so you could be there for the first egg. Maybe too many were sent and the girls are still working through them.

 

[lareynadenada]

I have 9 hens with 4 who have been laying for 3 weeks Is this pretty normal? I kinda figured I would have 9 layers by now