About to lay?

[schambo]

I have one barred rock who hatched around April last year, and two Easter Eggers who hatched in May. The BR started laying around 21 weeks in September, but stopped by the end of September when it started getting darker earlier (when daylight fell under 12 hours, almost to the day). The Easter Eggers haven’t started to lay at all. One of my EEs has just started squatting when I approach. Her vent is large, open and moist. Could she be about to start laying? I expected them to start again a bit later in the spring; there are still only about 9 hours of daylight here. Will she show those signs as she gets old enough to lay, even if she’s still in a seasonal laying break?

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I would say that she is getting close. My old EE started before winter and there combs get super red. Usally 2 weeks before laying they start squatting.

 

[Yardmom]

They should all start laying soon. The EE sounds very close. Some young birds lay through the first winter, Others like yours start laying when the days start to lengthen. Especially young birds don't wait for 12 hours of light to lay start laying.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One of my EEs has just started squatting when I approach. Her vent is large, open and moist. Could she be about to start laying?

I'd trust the vent more than squatting, squatting has misled me in the past. Her comb and wattles are looking red too, another good sign. So, yes, she looks close.

I've had pullets start to lay the first week of December when the days were about as short as they were going to get but still getting a bit shorter. Day length was about ten hours, well short of the day lengths you often read on here that they need. There are a lot of rules out there but the pullets can't read. They are going to start to lay when they start.

Are you sure she is not hiding a nest on you? It is possible she is already laying just not in the nest. They can be really creative in hiding a nest, even if you'd think it was in the open.

 

[schambo]

I'd trust the vent more than squatting, squatting has misled me in the past. Her comb and wattles are looking red too, another good sign. So, yes, she looks close.

I've had pullets start to lay the first week of December when the days were about as short as they were going to get but still getting a bit shorter. Day length was about ten hours, well short of the day lengths you often read on here that they need. There are a lot of rules out there but the pullets can't read. They are going to start to lay when they start.

Are you sure she is not hiding a nest on you? It is possible she is already laying just not in the nest. They can be really creative in hiding a nest, even if you'd think it was in the open.

I’m 99% sure she’s not hiding eggs. I only have 3 birds, so their coop and run are pretty small, and they haven’t been free-ranging in the yard recently.

 

[schambo]

For reference, these are the other two girls. The BR’s comb was much redder when she was laying in September, and the other EE’s vent is still pretty dry and tight.

 

[schambo]

Tada! I wasn’t expecting green, for some reason I thought the person I got Jellybean from said to expect blue, but yay! Will they get more pigmented over time, or is this pretty much the colour to expect?

 

[Mrs. K]

Probably the color you are going to get, but it is not uncommon for eggs to be slightly different color once in a while.

 

[schambo]

Do you think the other EE (the grey one above) will also lay blue, or green?

 

[Mrs. K]

No way to tell, till hey do! You take what you get.