First Egg Countdown

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Here are a few pics of one of my 16 week old RIR'sI took yesterday...

She has the biggest, reddest comb then any of the others. It seemed to have just appeared overnight!
So, what do you think? Is she going to be laying soon?

 

[goldfinches]

I have 5 Red stars who are 15 weeks, 4 day old. They developed dark red large combs, wattles and faces over the last couple of weeks, 3 of them look really ready to lay. Two of them have been squatting like crazy for at least a week, so I've been scouring the run for eggs, but none yet. I put Easter eggs in their boxes and I've caught them checking them out a few times. I wonder if its been so hot that it's keeping them from laying. I'm running a sprinkler on their run right now to cool things down.

Happy Chooks, I have a Wellie too. She's only 10 weeks old, but is getting such beautiful feathers. I can't wait to see her eggs!

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
>>>>>>>>>>
I have two older Red Stars that have been laying for a couple of months now. We just ended a three day over 100 degree temperature spell, and they did not stop laying. One of them is laying a whitish to cream colored egg now, but still got an egg a piece from them yesterday. They seem more sensitive to clouds than heat, probably due to them being bread for commercial production.

The whitish egg confuses me though--could one of the Black Australorps I raised from babies be laying in the big chickens coop? Its a large size egg so I don't think so. Four of the five BA's are popping out the red wattles and combs. I will be able to watch them more tomorrow, my day off.

Ron

 

[7L Farm]

sunny & the 5 egg layers :

Here are a few pics of one of my 16 week old RIR'sI took yesterday...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/84433_102_2962.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/84433_102_2960.jpg
She has the biggest, reddest comb then any of the others. It seemed to have just appeared overnight!
So, what do you think? Is she going to be laying soon?

Yes, she will lay in two weeks.​

 

[mamabahre]

First egg!!! got it today, it's tiny and I love it. It's from the only hen who I think will be laying for a few more week. They are all just 20 weeks old. My RIR..
She is by far the most mature physically of them all.

 

[goldfinches]

Quote:
>>>>>>>>>>
I have two older Red Stars that have been laying for a couple of months now. We just ended a three day over 100 degree temperature spell, and they did not stop laying. One of them is laying a whitish to cream colored egg now, but still got an egg a piece from them yesterday. They seem more sensitive to clouds than heat, probably due to them being bread for commercial production.

The whitish egg confuses me though--could one of the Black Australorps I raised from babies be laying in the big chickens coop? Its a large size egg so I don't think so. Four of the five BA's are popping out the red wattles and combs. I will be able to watch them more tomorrow, my day off.

Ron

I wouldn't mind that, I don't have any white egg layers and wish I had ordered a couple. Next time

Just wanted to report...I have a hen sitting in the nest box trying her hardest to lay RIGHT NOW! I hung around for a while waiting to hear her egg song, and she's making some singing, chirpy noises, but no egg yet.

 

[Pele]

Quote:
Grats!!! Wooohooo! Still jealous of all of you who have gotten eggs! I'm not handling my wait on my girls with much grace.

I may or may not have followed Drusilla around the yard last night grumbling "lay! lay darn you!"

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Grats!!! Wooohooo! Still jealous of all of you who have gotten eggs! I'm not handling my wait on my girls with much grace.

I may or may not have followed Drusilla around the yard last night grumbling "lay! lay darn you!"

I heard chickens won't lay if they have been hypnotized.

 

[goldfinches]

...and, she laid an egg!

 

[mamabahre]

I knew it would be yesterday or today, Little Red had been making the nest boxes all nice and cozy and I watched her for 20 minutes this morning trying out each of the 3 nest boxes. I finally left because I figured, "a watched chicken doesn't lay" and I was right!