I got chickens in first week of March. I was expecting the chickens to start laying eggs at about 23-25 weeks. However, I found an egg this afternoon lying at the edge of the run. It was pretty small as you can see from the picture. When will they get bigger? Also, should I now start the egg layer feed? I have 18 brown egg laying chickens (buff orps, black australorps, barred rock, white rock and rhode island reds) How many nesting boxes should I give them, and where should I put the nesting boxes?
Time for layer feed! You'll also want a bowl of crushed oyster shell out for them to pick from as they choose to augment calcium. Your eggs will grow to full size over the next couple of months, but you won't get a smaller one than this from that hen- I always blow out my first egg from each girl. For 18 girls, I'd have 6 boxes, because you will someday have a bunch of broodies and need more than the 2 or 3 they'll use for laying. I make a countertop out of double-decker boxes with a single surface across them to catch poop, and the roost goes 8 inches above that. I have a pop door and hanging feeder and waterer underneath, too. I have 9 boxes for 20 girls in one coop.
