My little chicken tractor has attached nesting boxes which are currently closed. My chickens are around 16 weeks old (I made the mistake of not marking their purchase date on the calendar); I have one BO and two EE pullets. And one big annoying should-have-been-a-hen production red rooster. Should I remove the cover from their nesting boxes now or wait a couple more weeks?
I typically go by their combs - when they begin to turn red, I open the nest boxes. You may have to put something in them at night because they sometimes want to roost in them at first, and you don't want poo in there. I just put a shoe box in them at night when my girls think they should hang out there at night, and then remove early in the morning.
Hi Orchid- I put my nesting boxes in then the ladies are appx 17 weeks old, but since you don't know the exact date, then you can look for these signs: Once your hens start doing the little rooster submission squat for you, as you reach out to pet them, then they are about to lay soon. So as soon as you see a hen do that, open your nesting boxes and put some wood shavings or straw in them. How exciting for you! First eggs are so much fun.....
Thanks ladies! My kids are really excited, they informed me as soon as we got the chicks that collecting the eggs will be "their job", so they ask me about once a day when the chickens will start laying eggs! And of course my best answer: "Pretty soon."
Not all pullet do the squat. If your chicken have learned where to roost I would open the nest and put fake eggs in as soon as they look close to laying
