Come On AC we want some eggs!

[bobbieschicks]

My beautiful 24 week old Ancona is driving me crazy! She looks ready to me and our rooster who has been mating her for weeks. Her hatch mates have already been laying since 21 weeks old. Give me some eggs please! Edited to update age - she's just 24 weeks old

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yeah! AC laid her 3rd egg today! It is perfect. She's doing fine and seems to have not suffered any ill effects from the blood on the previous egg. It was almost as big as the White Leghorn's egg.

Here it is on the right, the WL egg on the left.

 

[bobbieschicks]

After waiting so long for AC to start laying she has started a pattern of laying and I've gotten eggs three days in a row. I wonder if she will break the record of eggs in a row set by my white leghorn? I'll have to look it up to confirm, but I believe it was 46 days nonstop.

 

[StarLover21]

Oh my gosh! I totally missed this

I'm SO happy for you and AC!!!! I'm so glad she finally started laying for you. Tell her congradulations from me and my chickens!! A little bit of blood on the egg is normal at first.

See? It works every time. Just after you have completally given up hope, she lays. Even if it's after a thumpin' 55 weeks

 

[bobbieschicks]

Wow first eggs after 1 year old! I wonder if Anconas are just prone to be bad to non-layers? I have read in a couple places on the net about Anconas just not laying many eggs at all. Also, I have an Ancona who is 6 months, 2 weeks old, and has laid 4 eggs so far. She lays about 1 egg per week and that's it. It's always an extra large white egg, double yolker every time. I sometimes see her sitting on a nest for an hour or two at a time, and NO EGG. It's like she feels the need to lay but can't or doesn't. She's not egg bound because her vent is totally clean, healthy, and dry. She's not distressed or sick acting at all. She just DOESN'T LAY.

I have a Dark Cornish that has been laying 5-6 eggs per week for 6 weeks now (same age), and they aren't supposed to lay hardly at all.

I also have an EE, a Dark Brahma, and a Hamburg who are 6 months, 2 weeks, and never laid an egg yet.

Awh - poor Ancona. Sounds like your girl would be laying a normal egg more often once she gets that double yolker thing worked out. Maybe that's what is making her lay in the nest but not produce an egg that day.

I thought AC was NEVER going to lay. She's been laying regularly since she started - I guess she's making up for lost time. HAHA! Her eggs are a good size white egg - almost as large as the White Leghorn's egg. And definitely as large as the Lavender Orpington's eggs - and they have been laying since 22 weeks old.

I love my AC, but I don't think I will try raising Anconas any more- they are a beautiful breed but I'm leaning towards pea comb and short comb chicks for the future. Although I do LOVE my white egg girls!

 

[bruceha2000]

Wow first eggs after 1 year old! I wonder if Anconas are just prone to be bad to non-layers? I have read in a couple places on the net about Anconas just not laying many eggs at all.

One of my Faverolles laid first at about 18 weeks - 3 eggs (11/3, 11/9, 11/12) then nothing for over 2 weeks. Since then I usually get one but they rarely both lay the same day.

The two Ancona started on 11/21 and 11/22 and have been pretty reliable since. Only 6 days since that I didn't get an egg from either of them, They both lay on a given day with some frequency.

Bruce

 

[bobbieschicks]

Sadly AC laid her last egg yesterday. Today I found her dead cold in the coop when I went to clean up. She lived a good life and was lead hen for quite some time. I will miss her.

 

[kari_dawn]

does she free range? are you sure she hasn't been laying in a secret nest? lol

 

[bobbieschicks]

I wish. At least that would mean she's laying eggs

No she's stuck inside our coop & run and hasn't even tried to squat yet. I've caught her in the nest box once two weeks ago.

How are yours doing? I thought about your Snow White when my Snow White was trapped under our mini coop by a Coopers hawk yesterday. I have to get some sort of cover over my new extended run.

 

[kari_dawn]

The rest of my girls are doing really great...I have some more speckled sussex coming shortly...and a couple of JG for good measure...I have GOT to get rid of some birds!

Im glad your Snow White was okay! Im always terrified when one of mine doesn't show up now

Never had a hawk attack before her.