26 Weeks - No Crow - No Eggs - Three EE's

[10whiskers]

ochochicas, 35 weeks!

I wonder what the record is. You must be going mad if you haven't had any eggs from any hen yet. That's my case. I'm crazy for eggs, but haven't had a bird lay one for me. Basically, that's why I bought these near-to-lay ones. I can't bear to wait for my chicks to grow up. I know near-to-lay isn't correct. Is it point-of-lay (POL)? I've seen those abbreviations before...
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Pancy Gap Sue, I'm fairly certain they are only EE's (Easter Egger's) with only one parent being an Ameraucana.
I'm feeding them "Layena" Sunshine Fresh Crumbles. I have no idea what they were being fed before this. I don't know what to feed them for laying, but at the feed store (not Tractor Supply Company), I just told them what I've got, what I want the birds to do and they loaded up the stuff. We do have a TSC, here, but the bedding I'm using is better and cheaper at the feed store. They've been around forever, here. Anyway, "they" told me this is all I need to feed them to start and told me not to feed them "treats" more than once a week for now. I traded with them exclusively, when I had my horse, and they never told me wrong. Next time I go in, I will ask about the Kale.

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islandgirl82, I sure hope squatting is a sign. Ginger is the only one who does it and she is the only one to have gotten in the nesting box, if only for a moment. This egg eating thing is not the same as the eating of normal eggs is it?

As soon as I get to the coop, I check every nook and cranny. I churn up the bedding and even pulled the roost away from the wall to check. The girls never budged off it the whole time. I'm thinking of taking the top roost bar off for now, anway (there will still be three bars left.) Off and on, one of them has had diarrhea and it splats onto the wall from that far up. (It's a little under four feet high.)
I guess I'd better go to the tending your flock category. I forget what it's called. Hey, Thanks so much, everyone!

 

[ochochicas]

LOL
I just added it up. She is exactly 35 weeks. There were 6 pullets from her hatch. She is the only one I have but the original owner is still in contact with me. One of the sisters laid in August, and one laid her first egg a couple of weeks ago. I think mine is just a late bloomer since she was sickly as a baby (not her own fault). The hen in question is the one in my avatar picture. She is rumpless which makes me think that might have something to do with not laying yet.

 

[Michael OShay]

Michael OShay, You've helped me in the past. Thanks for the P for pullets.

You're welcome.

 

[islandgirl82]

10whiskers,

No, eating the soft shelled and/or shell-less eggs is not a sign of egg eaters. Chickens are opportunistic eaters but once their reproductive systems sort out the process of making eggs, the eating should stop. By nature, chickens keep their nests as clean as possible. They will dispose of abnormal/damaged eggs so as to give chicks a clean nest (they won't poo in the nest either). If a broody hen is sitting on eggs, she will either eat damaged eggs (early on) or roll the duds right out of the nest and get it as far away as she can the closer hatch day becomes. The rest of the flock may or may not clean up the dud.

You can place artificial eggs in the nest to encourage them to lay there eggs there. I have wooden eggs for that purpose...they're nicely and weighted much like a real egg. If you have any of those little plastic Easter eggs on hand you can even use those, just fill them with something to add some weight.

Chicks aren't always sold with an accurate age. You mentioned getting started pullets (and yes, POL is Point Of Lay). Unfortunately some sellers advertise their chicks to be older than they really are...I'm not sure why, maybe so they can charge more?

If Ginger is already taking an interest in the nest, albeit a small interest....it's a matter of days, not a week or two. The others will be soon to follow.

Waiting for those first eggs is one of the hardest parts of keeping a laying flock, imo.