Confused about egg laying

[K9bandit]

Ok here goes.
I am new to chickens and I just got 6 of them the second week of june
They are red cross hens and were about 17 weeks old when i got them.
about 2 weeks ago i think one started laying and since i have gotton 5 eggs. is this normal do they all take a while to lay once a day. and the one that is laying is laying about every other day.
Also i have had quite a bonus 3 of my 5 eggs were double yokes and boy they tasted like nothing i ever ate.

So i guess my question is when do they all start laying every day

 

[LynneP]

I hope experienced folks will answer your question more effectively- I suspect your layers settling in and getting into a routine. You don't mention what you're feeding, setup, etc.

My gils are 7 weeks and I'm looking forward to the stage you're now experiencing. I have golden comets and red crosses, too.

 

[warren]

About 20-21 weeks seems to be the age at which they lay. I haven't had any double yolkers yet. One of mine has laid an egg every day for a week and a half. They are much smaller than the ones my 3 year old lays, but they should get bigger. I had two eggs on toast today. yum.

 

[K9bandit]

i am feeding them blue seal egg layer i have a feeder in the coop i built which is 4 feet by 8 feet and outside in the pen. i also have water in both places which i change every day.
I will post pictures later.

 

[bigzio]

It will take them a little while to adjust to the the new coop they call home. Chickens don't care for change much, so routine is a good thing to keep in mind.

bigzio

 

[K9bandit]

Ok after getting a total of 5 eggs My 6 chickens have not laid in 5 days now what gives it might be time to turn them into roasters LOL

Also I have 4 nesting boxs for 6 chickens. I check on them every night. 3 of the girls sleep in one nesting box 2 sleep in another box and 1 sleeps by her self in another box. Is it normal for them to sleep in their nesting boxs and not on the perches i made for them

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
There is, honestly, no guarantee that they WILL lay each day. Chances are good they will, but there are many factors that determine it.

They dont all come into lay at the same exact time. There is no clock for it. They can start a little early as your first one has, and others may come in a little late.

Red Crosses as you call them, are likely a Red male with a white female, often a Wyandotte or Rock.
This means they are a hybrid and that is the main reason you are seeing them lay a little sooner than the text book time of 24 weeks.

An egg every other day is not ABNORMAL for hybrids, especially in the beginning. After a while they should pick up, although it is soon high summer and that tends to slow them down a bit.

And you cannot expect them to lay indefinitely. There will come a slow down in the winter, even a full stop if conditions are right.

And since these are late starters, there is even the chance that you won't see an egg a day from the lot of them until next spring season.
Im not trying to dampen your spirits mind you, just telling you some truth.

As for double yolks, they are quite common for pullets in their first course of laying. That should soon come to an end, with the occasional doubler from here out.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Have a little patience. These are just teenagers here, and so are none to bright.
It is normal that they sleep in the boxes, but you want to discourage that, if you can.