At what age do Black Australorps begin to lay their first eggs???

[RoseMarie1]

Wow finally after 22 weeks my australorp started to lay and its been an egg a day for 5 days in a row. The eggs are very small but I think that's because she's new at this. Now I'm wondering about the easter egger that's the same age.

yea congrats! Mine will be around 20 weeks the 9th of next month.

 

[The3GoodFaries]

Mine are roughly 19 weeks and nothing yet. I am very impatient! One of the 3 has very red and developed waddles and comb I can't wait!

 

[nfwc1964]

Our girls just turned 23 weeks. When do Australorps start laying??

 

[allhisblessings]

My Belle finally started laying this past weekend!! At 29 weeks(ish).

 

[Audio51]

I have 1 BC Maran that is 27 weeks and is just starting to get some red in her face. Not really any wattles yet. Poor thing has been thru a lot though. When she and her 11 siblings were about 4-5 weeks old something (we think a skunk) found a way into the pen and got all the babies except her. It didn't eat them, just pulled them under the shed and killed them. Then when she was around 16 weeks I can home from work and found her on her side unable to stand. I moved her to a dog carrier and pretty much hand-fed and watered her for about a month. She slowly started to get control of her legs again and now it's hard to tell her from the other chickens close to the same age, except for her size. I think all that has slowed her development. The other BC Marans are about 22 weeks, but already show more red and wattles than her. My Americauna, Buff Orphington and unknown banty are a few weeks younger still and not really showing any red yet.

 

[RoseMarie1]

My Belle finally started laying this past weekend!! At 29 weeks(ish).

Belle is very pretty and I DO LIKE that name! Might have to steal it for one of mine. ;-)

OPPS where's my manners....congrats!!!! on your first egg!

 

[glendaschicks]

Congrats to you and Belle on her first egg!

 

[allhisblessings]

Belle is very pretty and I DO LIKE that name! Might have to steal it for one of mine. ;-)


OPPS where's my manners....congrats!!!! on your first egg!

Hee Hee! You may steal the name. She is named after the town in Florida that we got her from (without the e on the end).
And thanks!

 

[southernfiction]

I called a feed rep. and asked why the instructions on the bag of layer pellets insisted it not be fed before the birds were 18 weeks old. The answer was if the bird was not mature enough, being on the layer too early could cause some problems. My Australorp obviously was one of those late maturers and also had gone through moving to a new place and heat stress. She molted out her neck feathers, which I've read is directly related to the too-early feeding of layer feed. I believe all this has stalled out her first egg. She's about 5 1/2 months old now, which is certainly not old!, but her sisters at the seller's house were laying weeks ago. Love the birdie anyway.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I called a feed rep. and asked why the instructions on the bag of layer pellets insisted it not be fed before the birds were 18 weeks old. The answer was if the bird was not mature enough, being on the layer too early could cause some problems. My Australorp obviously was one of those late maturers and also had gone through moving to a new place and heat stress. She molted out her neck feathers, which I've read is directly related to the too-early feeding of layer feed. I believe all this has stalled out her first egg. She's about 5 1/2 months old now, which is certainly not old!, but her sisters at the seller's house were laying weeks ago. Love the birdie anyway.

I sure would like to know WHAT problems they are talking about. Wonder WHY they wont say WHAT problems?

With mine being out free ranging like they are most all day long most everyday they are using up calcium I'm sure that might would cause caged up birds problems. I guess it just depends on each persons birds as to just how active they are etc. I'm just curious and like learning the WHY of things.