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

[Runawaylobster]

Unfortunately it's a waiting game....27 1/2 isn't "old" by any means....some on here didn't start till like 30 or even more!! Hopefully not that long for yours.....good luck!

Thanks , They are my first group of chickies so I have no benchmark to go on. I occasionally go out there and tell them they are all freeloaders but in general I am a patient person.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I've got 7 girls at 32 weeks that are not laying. Only a couple of those look even close.

 

[Tikkajazz94]

A friend suggested a calandar in the chicken coop, on when you would like them lay in red. and in black...... marks the butcher day lol..... Although I can't do that, Im close enough to eggs, so yah :/

24 1/2 weeks :/ Still no eggs. I'm thinkin getting a Barnyard mix to lay some eggs..... Then butcher her in the spring or sell it to the neighbour.

 

[bruceha2000]

the carpet in there needs to be pulled up anyway, it would just get done that much faster if I have to bring them inside to poop on it..

Ann, if you are married, I hope your husband doesn't read the forum. He might figure out WHY you bring the chickens in the house!

Bruce

 

[bruceha2000]

My girls are 21 weeks old today and none have started laying just yet. Should I switch them over to laying feed or wait until they start laying to switch them over?

I would use up what I had left of chick or grower feed and next bag buy layer ration....

I also put free choice oyster shells in a cat food can nailed to coop post, before my girls started laying, they just spread the stuff all over, now they eat it pretty vigorously,

Girls turned 20 weeks yesterday and they ran out of grower last week. Good timing! I bought them their first bag of layer and put oyster shell in the trough under the nipple watering pipe. It is amazing how they just "know" if they need it and how much! I have no idea if they are eating it yet, didn't put in a specific amount, just dumped some in.

Community nest box built and attached to the outside of the coop. Still need to add a latch to one of the two top opening doors and cut a hole inside the coop for them to go in. Hopefully they'll wait until Saturday to start laying or they won't have a nest box to go into. Of course if I am ready, they will probably wait another month!

Bruce

 

[bruceha2000]

Desdemona seems to squat even when you just stick your hand in her direction,

How "squatty" is "the squat"? I have a few that will go down as opposed to running away if I put my hand on their back, but they don't look like they are happy about it. I'm not sure that I'm not just getting over them before they can run. Though others are still backing off fast if I move my hand toward them.

Bruce

 

[cheeka]

Ann, if you are married, I hope your husband doesn't read the forum. He might figure out WHY you bring the chickens in the house!

Bruce

I keep him away from the forum...lol, actually, he enjoys the chickens but is addicted to the Giants website, so no worries here

How "squatty" is "the squat"? I have a few that will go down as opposed to running away if I put my hand on their back, but they don't look like they are happy about it. I'm not sure that I'm not just getting over them before they can run. Though others are still backing off fast if I move my hand toward them.

Bruce

when they squat, they lower down and pull their wings up, if you stroke their back, they will lower their heads and lift their tails, and when they are really ready, they drop their tail off to one side, it's unmistakeable.

 

[zooweemama]

31 weeks. 31. My Buff Orp girls have started laying. A couple days ago we found a lone egg under the pear tree. Skip a day- nada. Today I found another egg under the pear tree, still slightly warm. Went into the coop and found of the hennies chatting away staring at yet another egg laying on the floor. I nabbed it and it was still hot. LOL They were chattering away looking so confused. It was really cute!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

31 weeks. 31. My Buff Orp girls have started laying. A couple days ago we found a lone egg under the pear tree. Skip a day- nada. Today I found another egg under the pear tree, still slightly warm. Went into the coop and found of the hennies chatting away staring at yet another egg laying on the floor. I nabbed it and it was still hot. LOL They were chattering away looking so confused. It was really cute!

Awwww! The little darlings! They'll have it figured out pretty soon.

Don't you love what tattle-tales they are? If ANYTHING at all happens in the coop, the just can't wait to be the first to come and tell me about it. Follow me around cluck-cluck-clucking. If anyone escapes over the pasture fence, they make SUCH a racket!

 

[Runawaylobster]

How "squatty" is "the squat"? I have a few that will go down as opposed to running away if I put my hand on their back, but they don't look like they are happy about it. I'm not sure that I'm not just getting over them before they can run. Though others are still backing off fast if I move my hand toward them.

Bruce

With Desdemona its really squatty.... she is one of my friendliest chickies, she's a very large dominique..

But.... Drumroll....... I finally found one, a halloween egg, it was very tiny and left out in the middle of the run,
but it's the best egg ever

. I don't think it belongs to desdemona though its sort of off white

and so small... i'm thinking maybe nosey (who is a buttercup). Wooohoooo

here is a pic of it vs a winn dixie egg.