First Egg Countdown

[Chickenberry]

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Hi Chickenberry,

My BA's had bigger combs and wattles when they started laying at 22 to 24 weeks. The RIR's will probably lay first.

Good luck!

Ron

Ah, ok Ron... I'm a "newbie" and still learning! Bigger combswattles = eggs...

Thanks!

 

[stcroixusvi]

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No, no matter how many times I go out there, no egg. No interest in the nesting boxes, either. My first one on Monday must have been a fluke - a delicious fluke. I have 18 hens. I can't imagine a day when all of them produce one egg.

Me too, I feel your pain! I've even put golf balls in the box, nothing. When all your girls are laying one egg a day, you may have to buy a recipe book for eggs only!! Hahahaha!!!

BJC

Actually I have neighbors lined up outside my door waiting! (Not really, but I am getting a bit tired of the big question!) And now they are all teased because I told them about the one egg I got on Monday. None today.

 

[stcroixusvi]

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Camilla is a real tease

 

[msviolaceous]

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Me too, I feel your pain! I've even put golf balls in the box, nothing. When all your girls are laying one egg a day, you may have to buy a recipe book for eggs only!! Hahahaha!!!

BJC

Actually I have neighbors lined up outside my door waiting! (Not really, but I am getting a bit tired of the big question!) And now they are all teased because I told them about the one egg I got on Monday. None today.

Hah. I'm a public defender, and not only do I have an office full of people wanting eggs, but the other day, one of the prosecutors hit me up for eggs! I thought to myself, darn, woman! We're supposed to be enemies here!

Not to mention, I don't have any freaking eggs.

 

[Pele]

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Actually I have neighbors lined up outside my door waiting! (Not really, but I am getting a bit tired of the big question!) And now they are all teased because I told them about the one egg I got on Monday. None today.

Hah. I'm a public defender, and not only do I have an office full of people wanting eggs, but the other day, one of the prosecutors hit me up for eggs! I thought to myself, darn, woman! We're supposed to be enemies here!

Not to mention, I don't have any freaking eggs.

Wow, so many people waiting for their summer chicky-babies to start laying! Hang in there Msviolaceous, new layers like to skip a few days and lay shell-less occasionally. They're not trying on purpose to mess with your head.

BJC, I am in the same boat with you. I have tons of co-workers waiting for my fresh eggs as fast as my girls can make them. And here I thought having 5 layers was going to be excessive for starting a baking hobby! (BTW, fresh eggs make seriously good Zuccini bread).

 

[mtnhens4]

I have 3 of my 4 hens laying, I'm clueless as to why Samantha is holding out on me, she goes to the nest box every day, stays for an hour or so, comes out singing her song but there's nothing in the box They are all 29 wks old and well developed, I guess I'm going to start reading her bed time stories out of the cook book

 

[LT]

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I have the same problem. I have 1 out of 9 laying. They are all 23 1/2 weeks. The one who is laying has been laying for a month now! The others go in the hen house while she is laying and sit in the nest box and then walk away squawking like they have laid an egg....but nothing!!! It's making me crazy. I know they will lay when they are ready, but one egg a day is frustrating!

 

[ronott1]

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I have the same problem. I have 1 out of 9 laying. They are all 23 1/2 weeks. The one who is laying has been laying for a month now! The others go in the hen house while she is laying and sit in the nest box and then walk away squawking like they have laid an egg....but nothing!!! It's making me crazy. I know they will lay when they are ready, but one egg a day is frustrating!

Hi Mthens,

Give them time! My guess is one of the Golden Comets is laying? The other breeds you have are noted as laying a bit later than the comets(Comets 4 to 5 months the others 5 to 6 months).

If you haven't already, you should switch to layer rations for them. Check the instructions on the bag. Mine says to start them on layer at 18 weeks.

If I had to guess, I would say the rest will start laying withing the next two to three weeks (hopefully sooner

Ron

 

[babyjaycol]

Well, still no other eggs, just the carnage on Wednesday. There are signs that she has been in the nesting box, though, so at least the next one may be laid on the ground, not dropped from a dizzying (and egg lethal) height. My nesting box is ground level, do I need to raise it up some? Like maybe a foot off the ground? I just realized that my friend's boxes are just a little off the ground so I wondered if mine being on the ground was a problem for her. Any thoughts?

 

[CarolynF]

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So I have a story for you...
I have a Black Australorp (Pearl) that's been laying for a few weeks. Nice little brown eggs with firm shells in the nest box right where they belong. In the wings is my young Marans who is ready to lay any second. So... the other day they're out on the lawn and Pearl starts tailgating the older hen (an EE), pretty soon out drops her egg. Right on the lawn. A couple of days later, the same thing, tailgating then plop on the lawn. Then I get a call... the little Marans' sisters have both layed their first egg. So on her 20 week birthday we find an egg outside the box in a very narrow spot between the next box and the wall, apparently having fallen from the perch above and broken like yours! No sign of it having been pushed over there, and the break marks don't look like it was pecked. It's gotta be the Marans, right? But it's exactly the same size and color as Pearl's. But Pearl lays in the box, or on the lawn! Is it Pearl's or the Marans... well tomorrow if we get 3 eggs we'll know for sure, right? Next day... same exact thing... egg dropped from the perch, plus a green one from my EE. Hmmm.... has Pearl forgotten how to lay in the box????

Next day... Pearl's IN the box and lays a nice little brown egg... I saw here this time. And it's the only egg to be found. Boy is this poor girl confused! And the little Marans is still keeping us waiting, sigh.

So for us, it doesn't appear that the height of the nest box plays an important role. It's on the floor of the coop, and the perch is 18" higher. It works great for the EE, and for Pearl most of the time. I sure wish I had an explanation for those two broken eggs.