Do hens practice before they start laying?

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[Book Em Danno25]

 

[wendymichele]

This may seem a little backwards, but I actually started with 80 meat birds last September. They were black rangers. I decided to keep 4, after doing a little research and discovering they are a decent egg producer. I had a coop already because I'm getting chickens strictly for eggs in the spring. I pastured my meat birds and even though processing day broke my heart, I gave them the best life they could have and I know exactly what I'm eating. I wish everyone could have the opportunity to raise their own food. It certainly puts it into perspective

 

[wendymichele]

Yay! I got my first egg this morning. For some reason it was under the roost and not in the nest box. Do I need to put fake eggs in the nest boxes to get them to lay in there?

 

[drumstick diva]

Congratulations on your first egg. You can put a golf ball in each nest, so they get the idea where eggs should be laid. I think it was just a matter of a pullet not realizing the egg was coming and just popped one out. I know that would surprise me.

 

[wendymichele]

lol

 

[Michael OShay]

Yay! I got my first egg this morning. For some reason it was under the roost and not in the nest box. Do I need to put fake eggs in the nest boxes to get them to lay in there?

Congratulations! It's always exciting to get that first egg. I keep a few of the ceramic eggs in my nest boxes to show my hens where to lay. Also, if they peck on the hard ceramic eggs, it discourages egg eating as well. Golf balls will likely work as well, although BYC members differ in their opinions as to whether there are any chickens smart enough to tell the difference between golf balls and eggs. )

 

[Annoradeburgh]

Some one earlier in the post said their "faces are red"? Will the color of their skin turn redder with hormones when they are close to laying?

 

[Pstock44]

Welcome! I got my first chickens last fall. I had two of them laying and recently a 3rd started. I've noticed that the first couple eggs were laying in random places and after a few days found them in a nest box. If I take eggs from the nest box before she lays she'll sometimes still lay in random places so I've started to collect them later in the day. I'm thinking about getting a couple ceramic eggs and leaving them in a nest box for awhile and hope none of them go broody just yet. Its a thrill to go out and see what's there every day!

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello there, and welcome to the coop! I am so glad you decided to join the flock and I hope you'll make yourself at home here!

~Cuz