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

[blondiebee181]

If I didn't have to leave before sunup I think I would definitely go natural! So much easier!! I may break down and get a pop door soon too, just gonna try lights for now so i can get chores done(deep winter my girls will only have lights for about 11 hours I think 6:00am lights on to 5:08 natural sunset in Dec...I'm weaning them now for daylight savings to 7am) I like to see all the animals in the am too, good way to check for problems etc etc...clean coop....gotta check on the girls Here is my coop before work just after liights come on.....(street lights in baackround)....

Pretty coop Julie!

 

[Tin Flamingo]

What a Face! How cute

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I don't use ACV to increase egg production (because my chickens haven't started laying yet) but only to keep their water from growing algae in the plastic containers I have it in.

Specific question: do you use raw ACV? Organic? Regular?

 

[chickenteacher2]

What about Silkies, when do they start laying. My oldest girl is only 17 weeks now. The other two I'm not sure of...maybe 15 weeks. She is so little still. The roosters are not chasing them yet. How about Easter Eggers? Those girls are 16 weeks now and no other signs of maturing yet.

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

What about Silkies, when do they start laying.  My oldest girl is only 17 weeks now.  The other two I'm not sure of...maybe 15 weeks.  She is so little still.  The roosters are not chasing them yet.  How about Easter Eggers?  Those girls are 16 weeks now and no other signs of maturing yet.

I got the first egg from my EE yesterday. She is 23 weeks.

 

[Queen Bee]

lol When I first got chickens, I had 16 weeks marked on my calendar because I thought I should start looking for eggs-- you know that 'point of lay date". It was a long hard wait.... I waited for ANOTHER 12 weeks before I got my first egg!! They were between 28 and 32 weeks before they started to lay... I had RIR, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Marans and true Ameraucanas... The BR laid at 28 and the Ameraucana laid last at 32 weeks old..

 

[cleopatra]

My EE layed at 27 weeks. My other EE is 24 weeks now, but I'd say she's at least another 3 weeks away. My RSL is also 24 weeks - it should be any day now for her... wishing extra patience for everyone who's waiting.

 

[Chica Lady]

My EE layed at 27 weeks. My other EE is 24 weeks now, but I'd say she's at least another 3 weeks away. My RSL is also 24 weeks - it should be any day now for her... wishing extra patience for everyone who's waiting.

Patience??? What's that??? lol. Mine are at 31 weeks and still no signs....

 

[milo1108]

Specific question: do you use raw ACV? Organic? Regular?

I use regular old ACV from the grocery store, though I just found out how easy it is to make your own so I will be using that as soon as my first batch is done.

Easy recipe:
scraps of apples (cores, peels, etc, whole apples makes it take longer to make)
jar
something to cover the top, panty hose, or cheesecloth
water
You take all the scraps and put it into the jar, fill with water to cover the scraps and add your top to the jar, you want something to cover but to allow air to get in the jar. You also want to store it somewhere dark and warm...over the next few days add scraps until the mixture starts to thicken and grayish scum forms on the top. (dont worry, its normal for the grayish stuff on top, it does not mean it is spoiled. Remember you are making ACV, the fermentation process makes vinegar) After about a month, start taste testing til you like the flavor, then strain and bottle the vinegar. If you don't like the cloudiness then strain that with a coffee filter. And voila' your own homemade ACV.

 

[B J Hopkins]

What about Silkies, when do they start laying. My oldest girl is only 17 weeks now. The other two I'm not sure of...maybe 15 weeks. She is so little still. The roosters are not chasing them yet. How about Easter Eggers? Those girls are 16 weeks now and no other signs of maturing yet.

My Silky was 8 months old before she started laying. Her first egg was so tiny that when my Granddaughter found the egg in the yard she didn't think it was real. My Silky is still tiny. Named her "Itty Bitty".

Since she began laying in Jan 2012 to now, she has been broody twice. That's her to the left. She is now raising 3 chicks from the Showgirl Roo behind her.