Hi- I am in Plum Grove, TX and just got my first chicken coop as an adult about a month ago. We have a mixture of breeds. We started with 6 hens that we were told were 11 months old. We have lost 2 of them for unknown reasons. None have laid any eggs even though we have laying boxes for them. We picked up 2 fake eggs to put in the boxes today and are hopeful they will find them and get the idea. ;-) They have finally settled down enough to start chattering at us when we are outside to feed. I enjoy this immensely. Are there any signs we can look for to determine if they are ever going to start laying? Cmaglievaz
Hi and welcome to BYC - great to have you onboard. A couple of signs that indicate a hen is almost ready to lay: Comb / wattle will become redder and they will squat in front of you (a sign that they want to be mated and hence are at maturity). If indeed they are the age you were told then they should have been laying for a few months already. When chickens are in a new home it takes them a few weeks to get used to their surroundings - only then will they begin to lay. If you've had them for a month then they should have started laying already (or be very close to it). I do hope that whoever sold you the chickens was being honest! Good luck! CT
You might want to post photos here or at "what breed or gender is this," to be sure you were sold hens and not roosters. Welcome to Backyard chickens.
