Any thing I can do?

[Arkantex]

So, we got our first egg tuesday from one of our 23 week old chicks. We were all super excited! It was cracked so we decided we shouldn't keep it for eating. Well this is 2 days later and we haven't got any more eggs. Since there is at least one right about that starting point, is there anything I can do to "encourage" them into laying?
We have some fake eggs in the nesting boxes to help them get the idea, and are feeding them layer pellets already. Anything else I should be doing to help nudge them along?

 

[CorinneP]

Sometimes they are just a little slower when they start you might even get a few the size of a robins egg from a new hen .. Good luck

 

[Arkantex]

Well apparently we have one that is laying now. We checked yesterday morning and no eggs. I checked yesterday afternoon when I got home from work and there was an egg! My wife said she checked abotu 9 am yesterday morning so I guess one of my girls likes laying a little later on in the day.

 

[off-grid hen]

Mine lay all throughout the day, up until about 3:00 pm. Your girls while take a while to work into their laying schedule, and I don't think you can really encourage it to go quicker. When one starts laying, the others will start playing house in the nest boxes more, and hormones may kick in. But generally they lay when they lay.

 

[duckinnut]

Pending on the breed of the pullets they can come into POL(point of lay)anywhere from as early as 18 weeks to beyond 32 weeks. Not only breed but the chicken itself are individual creatures, sex-links tend to deliver earlier.I had a Buff start at 20wks and my last Buff start at 28 weeks even though the were the same age. So coaxing them along will make you feel better but it is the chicken who will decide when. Fake eggs are good to let them know where but won't help with the when part until it is "when" time. They are new to the egg laying thing so inconsistency is more consistent for a while. Being patient is the most you can do for them beyond giving them their basics. Food,water and shelter is your job, the egg laying is theirs. Good luck.

 

[pertybirdy]

Sounds like you are doing everything right! I had one start about 5 months old and the rest took a little more time, the little pullet eggs suprised me at first, but they got to be bigger with time. exciting!