Chickens are 16 Weeks Old - Nest Boxes? Lay with day length?

[Doc7]

Hello,

My chickens turned 16 weeks yesterday (June 4th hatch). They have been roosting on the roosting bar, which is a few inches above the nest boxes, for about a week now.

Is it a good idea to unblock my nest box now? I still have to put in dividers, and I am thinking I will build it so it is 2 12" nest boxes (i'll have another 2-3 feet of storage area in the external box that I'll keep blocked off)

Will they lay with the day lengths getting shorter or not till next spring? We are going to Aruba for 5 days next week. I have no plans for the chickens to be watched as they have plenty of food and water with 10 gallons on horizontal nipples and a waste free 25 lb feeder (at 16 weeks old, they have already gone 10 days without supervision on 2 occasions). Think there is a risk of a 17-18 week old chicken popping out eggs while we are gone? I can have people check the chickens but they certainly won't break an egg eater or anything like that.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Think there is a risk of a 17-18 week old chicken popping out eggs while we are gone?

Not much in my experience... this time of year. But no I wouldn't expect them to wait until next spring... and technically you could control the lighting if it was important to you for them to start sooner. What you feed can also impact development.

What breeds are we talking about? Are their combs dark red yet or anybody squatting or cackling a bunch? Pics always welcome!

I would probably wait until I returned to open the lay box... but it might be fine since they are already roosting.. Fake eggs to show them where to lay and give a hard surface should they do a curiosity peck are a favorite tool of mine. Funny some get kicked out, others are accepted to stay in the box.

Hope you have a great time in Aruba!

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

Hens will not normally start laying eggs until they are 6 months old, although I've had some that pop a few weeks early. I wouldn't say that it's too big of a deal to have anybody check your chickens while you are gone. Even if they lay an egg while you're gone, it's cold enough outside that it won't go bad right away. I keep my eggs on the counter after I collect them. They last for a month or two that way.

While hen egg production does go down over the winter months, it does not normally cease altogether. As for new laying hens? I've had some start laying in the winter and lay an egg almost every day. I'd say you're good to unblock the nesting boxes, even if they don't have dividers. While your hens may not lay right away, it's good for them to have the option in case one of them needs to lay early. Often a lot, a young hen will be confused about her first egg and end up laying it in some odd place. Whatever you decide to do, good luck and I hope you get some eggs.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hens will not normally start laying eggs until they are 6 months old, although I've had some that pop a few weeks early

Actually 6 months is fairly late for many breeds... Almost all my Rocks lay by 5 months. And consider anybody who start at 6+ months... to possibly be on their way put of my flock. Though they catch a little slack if they are maturing late in the year like this. Most my birds will not lay in large open boxes, but some do. They mostly seem to like the space fairly confined. But you gave good info, I don't mean to seem disagreeing.

In will NOT suggest keeping your eggs at room temp for two months... yes I have done it safely... but the egg QUALITY diminishes VERY heavily... they turn runnier and break their yolks easier even the shell become more brittle. Their air sacks grow huge AND nutrient DIMINISH... hence they become unhatchable. But yes I do think they would still technically be safe for eating when you returned home if they weren't fertilized and sat on full time while you were gone.

Research shows egg quality diminishes one day on the counter is equal to a week in the fridge approximately. And I think this a a HUGE misconception by chicken keepers... that keeping eggs on the counter somehow is special. Simple fact, they didn't used to have refrigeration but we do. Yes we like to show off our eggs and see them beautifully gracing our counters. .. but there is ZERO benefit to keeping them room temp... EXCEPT for certain recipes... it will matter they are room temp. Most it really doesn't...

AND you DON'T have to age them to peel perfect boiled eggs (another misconception)... Make sure the water is boiling BEFORE eggs are added regardless of their temp. When done boiling SHOCK in cold water. My tap is cold enough but some people's may not be. This method equals 99.9% perfectly pealed eggs with no vinegar, baking soda, or other magic wastes of $ added to the water.

Kept in the fridge unwashed I have eaten eggs that were 6 MONTHS old and still on par with store bought eggs.

Knowing and seeing the difference in quality... I won't even give away eggs that have been on the counter a week as I'm embarrassed compared to my expectation... And my house rarely even reaches 65 degrees. I will boil them... since the difference can't then be detected and only visually do have a slightly bigger empty space where the air sack is... One final, hopefully helpful hint... always store pointy end down as the air sack is in the fat end and this helps to stabilize the air exchange that takes place and keep the yolk more centered.

This is my experience after about 10 years of raising chickens. Sorry so much information.. chickens are a bit addicting! I know everybody has their preferred way... I'm following the science and my personal experience and sharing them so you can choose what makes sense for YOU. (even though slightly off topic) Fridge space is at a premium here, so In would prefer the counter in that regards... but we keep chickens so we can have the freshest eggs not ones that wouldn't even get a grade A were they graded by USDA. Oh... well, that's not the real reason... I guess it's really to KNOW how our animals are treated and they are just so much fun!

Good luck with your new layers... so cool that you get to take a trip instead of counting down the day to lay. It can be so hard waiting.

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

Actually 6 months is fairly late for many breeds... Almost all my Rocks lay by 5 months. And consider anybody who start at 6+ months... to possibly be on their way put of my flock. Though they catch a little slack if they are maturing late in the year like this. Most my birds will not lay in large open boxes, but some do. They mostly seem to like the space fairly confined. But you gave good info, I don't mean to seem disagreeing.

In will NOT suggest keeping your eggs at room temp for two months... yes I have done it safely... but the egg QUALITY diminishes VERY heavily... they turn runnier and break their yolks easier even the shell become more brittle. Their air sacks grow huge AND nutrient DIMINISH... hence they become unhatchable. But yes I do think they would still technically be safe for eating when you returned home if they weren't fertilized and sat on full time while you were gone.

Research shows egg quality diminishes one day on the counter is equal to a week in the fridge approximately. And I think this a a HUGE misconception by chicken keepers... that keeping eggs on the counter somehow is special. Simple fact, they didn't used to have refrigeration but we do. Yes we like to show off our eggs and see them beautifully gracing our counters. .. but there is ZERO benefit to keeping them room temp... EXCEPT for certain recipes... it will matter they are room temp. Most it really doesn't...

AND you DON'T have to age them to peel perfect boiled eggs (another misconception)... Make sure the water is boiling BEFORE eggs are added regardless of their temp. When done boiling SHOCK in cold water. My tap is cold enough but some people's may not be. This method equals 99.9% perfectly pealed eggs with no vinegar, baking soda, or other magic wastes of $ added to the water.

Kept in the fridge unwashed I have eaten eggs that were 6 MONTHS old and still on par with store bought eggs.

Knowing and seeing the difference in quality... I won't even give away eggs that have been on the counter a week as I'm embarrassed compared to my expectation... And my house rarely even reaches 65 degrees. I will boil them... since the difference can't then be detected and only visually do have a slightly bigger empty space where the air sack is... One final, hopefully helpful hint... always store pointy end down as the air sack is in the fat end and this helps to stabilize the air exchange that takes place and keep the yolk more centered.

This is my experience after about 10 years of raising chickens. Sorry so much information.. chickens are a bit addicting! I know everybody has their preferred way... I'm following the science and my personal experience and sharing them so you can choose what makes sense for YOU. (even though slightly off topic) Fridge space is at a premium here, so In would prefer the counter in that regards... but we keep chickens so we can have the freshest eggs not ones that wouldn't even get a grade A were they graded by USDA. Oh... well, that's not the real reason... I guess it's really to KNOW how our animals are treated and they are just so much fun!

Good luck with your new layers... so cool that you get to take a trip instead of counting down the day to lay. It can be so hard waiting.

I DO know that eggs can last longer in the fridge, but if you're like me and you have a big family (7 people in whole) you don't have enough room for eggs in your refrigerator. Eggs have to stay good for long periods of time for incubation purposes. I'm not trying to seem like a know it all or anything, I just know that a lot of people think that eggs have to be immediately refrigerated after they are layed.

Also, egg laying can vary with different breeds of chickens or just with an egg glitch. Once a hen of mine layed at about 2 months old. Another time one of my sweet silkie girls didn't lay for 4 years.

I have been doing chickens for seven years now, but I don't really like to eat eggs. I like hard boiled eggs, so your information there was a big help to me.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have been doing chickens for seven years now, but I don't really like to eat eggs.

Me either.

Wow.. that some crazy variables in age and laying. But I do see new things all the time. Never one at 8 weeks and would THINK there might a mistake about her age. But hey, never one as late as 4 year either. I also don't know everything, and HOPE I don't come off like that!

One thing I do know for sure... the more things I learn... the more I realize I HAVE to learn still. And things don't always go as we expect or think of as normal. I have a two year old HEN that recently started "crowing".

What a blessing to have a large family! We are just 3 of us but still struggle with fridge space... and you should have seen hubby's reaction when he wanted to bring out a small bit of pasta salad he didn't like yesterday and I said... not unless you have enough to go around for 75 birds! We don't talk numbers usually.

Some people have had really good luck using a pressure cooker for peeling boiled eggs... but hopefully that method will help you out. I like to speak from actual experience and things I know work instead of just spreading "hacks" I haven't tried... so many of them are bunk, (like using your fingernail to mark an X on a mosquito bite) but that method described works REALLY well for me.

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

Me either.

Wow.. that some crazy variables in age and laying. But I do see new things all the time. Never one at 8 weeks and would THINK there might a mistake about her age. But hey, never one as late as 4 year either. I also don't know everything, and HOPE I don't come off like that!

One thing I do know for sure... the more things I learn... the more I realize I HAVE to learn still. And things don't always go as we expect or think of as normal. I have a two year old HEN that recently started "crowing".

What a blessing to have a large family! We are just 3 of us but still struggle with fridge space... and you should have seen hubby's reaction when he wanted to bring out a small bit of pasta salad he didn't like yesterday and I said... not unless you have enough to go around for 75 birds! We don't talk numbers usually.

Some people have had really good luck using a pressure cooker for peeling boiled eggs... but hopefully that method will help you out. I like to speak from actual experience and things I know work instead of just spreading "hacks" I haven't tried... so many of them are bunk, (like using your fingernail to mark an X on a mosquito bite) but that method described works REALLY well for me.

I was VERY confused when the young pullet layed an egg, but there was no mistaking her age. We hatched her ourselves. The egg she layed was very small, but an egg nonetheless. She was separated off from the big flock with a bunch of other chickens her age, until we could integrate them in. I think she was a Wyandotte Cochin cross.

The layer at four years was one of the strangest things. We got her (a buff silkie) with another Silkie (white) about five years back, but she wouldn't lay eggs. The other Silkie layed little white eggs nearly every day and went broody all the time. The buff silkie would never lay, though. After four years the white silkie hen passed and a few months after that the buff silkie randomly started laying. Her eggs are odd, as they are small, and tan, but very long and narrow. I've owned four different Silkie hens and none of the others have ever layed eggs like that.

 

[AGirlAndHerChickens03]

Me either.

Wow.. that some crazy variables in age and laying. But I do see new things all the time. Never one at 8 weeks and would THINK there might a mistake about her age. But hey, never one as late as 4 year either. I also don't know everything, and HOPE I don't come off like that!

One thing I do know for sure... the more things I learn... the more I realize I HAVE to learn still. And things don't always go as we expect or think of as normal. I have a two year old HEN that recently started "crowing".

What a blessing to have a large family! We are just 3 of us but still struggle with fridge space... and you should have seen hubby's reaction when he wanted to bring out a small bit of pasta salad he didn't like yesterday and I said... not unless you have enough to go around for 75 birds! We don't talk numbers usually.

Some people have had really good luck using a pressure cooker for peeling boiled eggs... but hopefully that method will help you out. I like to speak from actual experience and things I know work instead of just spreading "hacks" I haven't tried... so many of them are bunk, (like using your fingernail to mark an X on a mosquito bite) but that method described works REALLY well for me.

I was VERY confused when the young pullet layed an egg, but there was no mistaking her age. We hatched her ourselves. The egg she layed was very small, but an egg nonetheless. She was separated off from the big flock with a bunch of other chickens her age, until we could integrate them in. I think she was a Wyandotte Cochin cross.

The layer at four years was one of the strangest things. We got her (a buff silkie) with another Silkie (white) about five years back, but she wouldn't lay eggs. The other Silkie layed little white eggs nearly every day and went broody all the time. The buff silkie would never lay, though. After four years the white silkie hen passed and a few months after that the buff silkie randomly started laying. Her eggs are odd, as they are small, and tan, but very long and narrow. I've owned four different Silkie hens and none of the others have ever layed eggs like that.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would leave them covered while you're away, unless you already have one or more showing physical signs that they're close to laying (plumped red combs, squatting).

I've never had a chicken lay as early as 18 weeks but I don't have production breeds either, so that's another thing to take into account.

 

[Doc7]

None of my chickens have bright red combs yet.