Early Laying Behavior

[Hayduke27]

Greetings all! I had the great fortune of getting my first egg on this past Saturday. The hen that laid it is a black sex link, about 18 weeks old. She laid the small brown egg on Saturday afternoon. I found it in a nest box that evening, with a small peck mark in it (she hadn't broken the inner membrane). I have read that they sometimes peck at the first egg, due to the fact they don't really know what it is. This did not alarm me.

However, it's now Tuesday morning, I just went out and checked the boxes again... Not a single egg since that first one. I realize it's likely I'm being impatient, as she just started laying, but any idea how long it might take before I get eggs regularly? Once they start up, is it common for them to take a while to increase egg production?

I did see that last night one of them really tidied up the nesting boxes. They are looking very ready for some more eggs!!!

(you can see that mischevious twinkle in her eye!)

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If she gives you another egg today, she'll likely lay it later in the evening. But, it could be days or weeks before she lays another. You'll just have to wait it out

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I just had this issue

I got my first egg two Sundays ago in the late evening. It took about 4 days before I got another egg, this one was in the afternoon. The third one came a few days later and was in the afternoon as well. The fourth was yesterday and laid in late morning. This morning (early) I found another egg which I believe is from a new layer considering it wasn't in the nesting boxes and all the other eggs had been in the boxes. The eggs have slowly gotten darker in color and a more normal egg shape. They are all pretty small but each one has been bigger than the one before it

Varies chicken to chicken and I'm sure my experience will not be your experience, just wanted to share

 

[rig001]

i got my first egg about 3 weeks ago. she laid steady since. up to 8 eggs a day. guess once they start they all start

 

[Hayduke27]

i got my first egg about 3 weeks ago. she laid steady since. up to 8 eggs a day. guess once they start they all start

8 a day? Sounds like a champ to me!

 

[cverba]

Mine started laying at 18 weeks too. She laid for about a week and then on the following weekend, nothing for 4 days. But I was blessed by the chicken gods too. I put up a post asking a few days about it, (concerned more about eggs being stick) and I guess it's normal until they figure it out?

What I read is watch the diet and their food intake. High Ca (spinach, kale, shells etc) and apparently some chickens won't lay if they eat too many tomatoes (mine were getting into the garden and also matched the time of no eggs...).

 

[rig001]

well not the same chicken of course. i have 14 layers. got em in april as chicks.

 

[Hayduke27]

I have still not gotten a second egg from this chicken. Her sister started laying on Wednesday, and I got an egg Wednesday and Thursday. However, it's been a week since my first girl laid an egg last Friday afternoon, and I haven't even seen her showing interest in the nesting boxes anymore. I know that I just have to be patient and she will start laying when it's time, but sheesh, 7 days??

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

It happens, at least you're getting eggs from another one though! My chicken that started first is still laying late morning/late afternoon and still not every day. My 2nd chicken to lay has been laying every morning (early too) for the past 3-4 days. Some just "get it" right from the start and others don't.

 

[Hayduke27]

Yeah! My 2nd hen to lay just gave me my 3rd egg from her. That's 3 days in a row!! She's my champ right now, haha. Her sister, the first layer, still has not given me one today. Her egg was speckled and very beautiful, can't wait to see another!