First Egg Countdown

[citychickx6]

MY WAIT IS OVER!!!!!!!
Got my first egg today!
Small white perfect and in the nestbox!
Have to get camera from son so I can take a pic.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Congrats!

 

[Erin K]

I think my chickens are just not going to lay. They are just going to be freeloaders.

27 week old Araucana
21 week old Barred Rock
15 week old SLW (who gets a pass for now of course)

I guess I was SURE they would lay by now. They do free range a lot, but I look and look and can't find eggs.

Will switching them to layer feed help them start? I was going to keep them on the chick stuff until I ran out or they laid. (you know, with their varied ages and all) Also it barely matters what they are on because they free range so much I think they eat as much grass and junk as they do feed.

Is it still normal for no eggs? Oh and as far as comb color it seems to change hourly. They will go all super red and I get excited, then later same day it's pink again. Weird birds.

I love them no matter what though.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Congrats to all the new eggs! We continue to get 2 perfect eggs a day from 2 of the 18 hens

talk about freeloaders. Today I saw one of the other RIR on the outdoor roost and a weird egg-like thing dropped to the ground. Before I could even investigate, one of them grabbed it and ran. They left behind the clear yolk. It didn't look like a fully developed egg. Better luck tomorrow!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I'd wait 2-3 weeks until the SLW is a bit older. The other 2 are fine to switch.

No barnevelder egg for me today. She just psyched me out.

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
But you are giving them oyster or crushed egg shell, on the side, right??? As I understand it the SLW won't bother eating it until she's getting closer to laying.

 

[Erin K]

Quote:
But you are giving them oyster or crushed egg shell, on the side, right??? As I understand it the SLW won't bother eating it until she's getting closer to laying.

Yup. They have it free choice in a different feeder. Sometimes they sorta pick at it but mostly it just sits there.

 

[confusedturtle]

Just wanted to say congrats to all the new egg getters, & thank you for the congrats on my first egg also. For everyone waiting it will happen. Im sorry that you are still waiting but it will be so worth the wait. I bet you get a big healthy yummy egg really soon

 

[afj6710]

I have 11 pullets, ranging from 23-26 weeks. And, not one.stinkin.egg.

I'm so over doing the egg check everyday and being disappointed. I told the girls this a.m. that they have until this bag of feed runs out then someones going to the stew pot. if we don't have eggs. Chicken feed is way too expensive to not be getting something back in return. Money is tight and we are hungry, dangit!

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
Hi

sorry that your chickens are not laying yet. Here is a link to an egg laying paper: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps029

Notice that the egg laying cycle says that chickens will begin laying at 18 to 22 weeks, depending on Breed and Season. We are in a slow start season, it being Fall now. Also, only the Barred rocks are in the early Breed group. They will lay--it will just take a bit longer. The Barred Rocks will probably lay first.

Patience

Ron