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

[blondiebee181]

Howdy. Making my first post ever on this site on this thread I have 8 babies. This is my first venture into raising chickens. So far it has been a blast and very worrisome. Worrisome in that I want to be certain I am doing the best possible job for my babies. On to my question(s):

My girls are 11 weeks old. How old should they be when they begin laying?

One of girls might be a boy. I'm not sure. She's a Black Australorp and is very much the leader of the flock. At 11 weeks old, s/he hasn't crowed but is making adult like sounds (what I call 'big girl' voice). At what age do the roos begin crowing?




This is Xena, my Black Australorp, right after I opened the gate to let them out for the day. She strutted around making her 'big girl' sounds checking out the area for dangers.

I agree with everything Simmonsfunnyfrm said. My earliest layer (a White Leghorn) was 16 1/2 weeks and my Americauna started 3 days later. The other 2 were 20-21 and I'm still waiting on 2 ducks to start who are 12 weeks old this Monday. Your girls are young yet to think about switching feed but at 16-18 weeks you will want to switch either to layer feed or start supplying free choice oyster shell (calcium) with the feed. Where are you located? At this point the days are getting shorter and most layers drop production during the winter months. It is a healthy natural part of their laying cycle and many of us do not choose to disrupt this with natural light, however, your birds may lay anyway because this is their first year. Not sure 100% on that.

I also agree that your Australorp looks female, and it is true about chickens voices developing at different rates. Even now I have a chicken or two that are still more chirpy than the others who are more clucky....their voices differ just like ours do. Good luck with your girls!

 

[Rhoise]

I got a double yolker today too! We usually get one about every 1-2 weeks with 10 girls laying. Does anybody else weigh their eggs or am I just silly for doing that? I like to see how much bigger they get over time. Today's double yolker was a record breaker at 2.7 ounces! Out of a Cinnamon Queen, like all of them have been except once my EE that's laying had one.

I don't weigh, but only because I don't have a scale, and if I spend anymore mooluha on these chickens my DH will freak

but Double yolkers are so so neat!! I have a barred rock "Gertie" who lays them often at least once a week or more. She even layed a tiny little fart egg that had the two cutest little yolks...Probley a reproductive malfunction, but I always consider them Good Luck!! Hmmm maybe that cute egg scale I saw online might be a good gift idea for bday/xmas...gonna start hinting. Last week I got a monster egg, couldn't close the carton, would have loved to weigh that one!!

 

[blondiebee181]

I don't weigh, but only because I don't have a scale, and if I spend anymore mooluha on these chickens my DH will freak

but Double yolkers are so so neat!! I have a barred rock "Gertie" who lays them often at least once a week or more. She even layed a tiny little fart egg that had the two cutest little yolks...Probley a reproductive malfunction, but I always consider them Good Luck!! Hmmm maybe that cute egg scale I saw online might be a good gift idea for bday/xmas...gonna start hinting. Last week I got a monster egg, couldn't close the carton, would have loved to weigh that one!!

I have a kitchen scale that I've used on some of the mondo eggs before, mostly for bragging rights LOL

 

[fuquay nc girl]

That's too funny.... !! I don't have any stompers yet either. I do have a buttercup that flies up onto me any time i stand near her. I
cut her flight feathers to stop her roosting in the trees, but it didn't work, so i cut some more off them... still didn't work, she still
flies up on me!! I look like a pirate all the time with a bird on my shoulder!

I follow the "fermented feed for meat birds" thread. You can prob see it in my activity on my profile.
Most people combine layer pellets with scratch, although it can be done with just one or the other. Then covered in water, and allowed to ferment for 24+ hours, stired occasionally.
Again, most people use some Apple cider vinegar w/Mother to kickstart the process. That isn't needed, but just gets things going a little sooner.

I have a kitchen scale that I've used on some of the mondo eggs before, mostly for bragging rights LOL

I like that "bragging rights", but in some cases it's "whimper rights" on what we are or aren't finding in our nesting boxes. Yes, I am guilty of both.

 

[cleopatra]

I got a double yolker today too! We usually get one about every 1-2 weeks with 10 girls laying. Does anybody else weigh their eggs or am I just silly for doing that? I like to see how much bigger they get over time. Today's double yolker was a record breaker at 2.7 ounces! Out of a Cinnamon Queen, like all of them have been except once my EE that's laying had one.

I weigh every egg I get from my two that are laying. There's really no reason for it except that it's fun to know what size eggs they're laying. So far they're ranging from 1.8 to 2.0 oz. Who cares if people think we're silly!?!

 

[StarLover21]

My wheaten maran is now almost 37 weeks...

Come on girl! Just one little egg? She's still so little, like a pullet, although she's SO red now. I guess she really was stunted from her 'mite attack' she had awhle back. I hope she does lay eventually

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I weigh every egg I get from my two that are laying. There's really no reason for it except that it's fun to know what size eggs they're laying. So far they're ranging from 1.8 to 2.0 oz. Who cares if people think we're silly!?!

I think it's fun! Mine are in the same general range, 1.8-2 oz, but that's just my Cinnamon Queens. I have one EE and one Welsummer Laying and theirs are almost always 1.7, and I have one Cinnamon Queen that is starting to consistently lay 2.2's. My husband just shakes his head and laughs when I do it. Hooray for silliness!

 

[mrsc1951]

I have 5 hens that are a little over a year old and lay consistently. I also have 2 pullets that are 21 weeks old today and neither of them has given me an egg yet. One is an EE and the other is half Cochin and half SLW. I know that the Cochins tend to be later layers but I'm so looking forward to a blue or green egg. The EE has been in the nesting box - several whorls in the hay and a few of her feathers. I've had them since they were a day old so I'm ready and think she is too; her comb and wattles are bright red and have been for a couple of weeks. That first egg is always eggciting.

 

[cheeka]

I got 2 today, one with no shell... and an OLIVE egg! so one of my EE's is laying! most likely Blu, in my avatar, as she's been squatting and such...

I had 2 cockerels, with this group, still have one, the other was eaten by a fox... but they both were making attempts at crowing at 6 weeks, and Barney had a recognizable little crow by 8 weeks, by 10 weeks he was shrill... the other, Royce, has a tenor crow, very melodious and not offensive to the neighbors... Barney was 15 weeks 2 days when he was caught, he would have been a real handful by now, and might have been sent to freezer camp... very dominant bird, although quite smitten with me, never mean... I miss him

 

[mawmaw11]

We are in north Texas with 3 EEs and 1 buff orp...20 1/2 weeks and no eggs yet...closely watching!