First Egg Countdown

[CLOUDNINE]

This is such a great thread! Ronott, you answered most of my questions, too. I have 3 red sex linked hens, and one has had her "big Girl" voice for the past week! The others don't seem to be as vocal yet. They are all about 16 weeks, and have gone red around their eyes, but the combs aren't really big yet. I keep checking the boxes in the house, and will get some golf balls to lay in the boxes. I also have 2 roosters, should I expect eggs a little sooner? All my chickens are the same age, and I've never raised them before. I also have noticed patches of feathers on the ground several times in the past 10 days, almost like their has been a squabble, but I am not finding any marks on any of the chickens. Any ideas?

 

[ronott1]

This is such a great thread! Ronott, you answered most of my questions, too. I have 3 red sex linked hens, and one has had her "big Girl" voice for the past week! The others don't seem to be as vocal yet. They are all about 16 weeks, and have gone red around their eyes, but the combs aren't really big yet. I keep checking the boxes in the house, and will get some golf balls to lay in the boxes. I also have 2 roosters, should I expect eggs a little sooner? All my chickens are the same age, and I've never raised them before. I also have noticed patches of feathers on the ground several times in the past 10 days, almost like their has been a squabble, but I am not finding any marks on any of the chickens. Any ideas?

The Roosters won't make them lay sooner. Sometimes they will begin to "pester" the hens. The feathers could be from the Roosters trying to breed the hens

. Too much pestering can stress the hens and they will start sooner. Of course yours probably get along fine.

With Roosters, you might not see the egg squat, or they will do it for the Rooster.

A quick tip- the roosters don't need to be with the hens all the time. If they are getting to be too rough and the hens start getting bare backs, figure out a way to keep them apart for part of the day.

Are you going to hatch eggs later? Red Stars aren't know for going broody. I have a Dorking hen and I hope she will go broody for me.

Enjoy the wait!

Ron

 

[Danielle27]

My Pullet Yin is a year and a half old. She stopped last fall, but still goes into the nest box like she is laying an egg. When she did lay, she laid a double yolked egg every other day. She probably has some type of reproductive problem, which happens to Golden Comets sometimes. She is very sweet and is now in with the laying flock now, so she may be laying but I have not gotten any double yolked eggs this year. It is possible she is laying regular eggs now. Aveca said you can turn the hen over and look at the vent. If the vent is half the size it should be and is not shiny then the hen is not laying. I may put her into a separate pen for a week to see if she is laying.
Like Happy Chooks said, the comb and wattles will get bigger and redder. That can happen quickly. They are more talkative and should be more friendly. If you don't have a rooster, a week or two before laying they will start to "Egg Squat". They will squat low to the ground, put their wings out and sometimes do a bit of a dance. They are "posing" for the rooster. Then next thing to look for is them inspecting the nest box. Mine ripped it up pretty good. They will also start practising the egg song, sometimes three or more times a day

.

At 16 weeks you can give them layer food. The others are a bit young for that, so you can give them Grower feed and free choice calcium. It might not hurt to give them Black Oil Sunflower Seeds every couple of days. It has oil in it that can help with that first egg.

You should also have the nest box(s) set up with pine shavings and fake eggs or golf balls. It's cute when they lay their fist egg by the sliding glass door, but not the best place for them to lay eggs. Sometimes they don't really get it right at first and will lay one in the morning from the roost onto the poop board

I hope you don't have to wait long.

Ron

Thank you so much. They have gotten very vocal the last couple days, and I swear their combs and waffles are growing before my eyes. lol I really hope it wont be long. They are constantly complaining - boooook boooook boooook all day. This is new. Also, for the first time ever the 16 weeks olds have started jumping on my shoulder, so they are definitely becoming more friendly. No squatting yet though.

I got the nest boxes ready and put golf balls in. Should I use straw or shavings? I have shaving in there right now, but can easily put some straw in if they prefer it.

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

How exciting! You will have eggs before you know it.

Both straw and shaving work. Some say the straw can encourage mites, but I don't know. I use the fine pine shavings from the Tractor store.

Ron

 

[Happy Chooks]

With the feather loss, it could simply be a juvenile molt. They won't look bald, but you'll see feathers laying around.

I also use shavings for the coop and nest boxes.

 

[Pele]

With the feather loss, it could simply be a juvenile molt. They won't look bald, but you'll see feathers laying around.

I also use shavings for the coop and nest boxes.

I agree Happy Chooks. My Red SLs did the exact same thing. And hens do tend to favor shavings, however straw works too. I've never had my hens form a picket line and strike because of straw

I also have an update of my own. One of my little faverolles has decided to put her big-girl face on. She's turning bright beet red, almost overnight. No squatting or pacing yet though:

 

[ronott1]

With the feather loss, it could simply be a juvenile molt. They won't look bald, but you'll see feathers laying around.

I also use shavings for the coop and nest boxes.

Yes, I meant to say that feathers could be molt but hit submit too soon. They will do that a bit before laying.

Still make sure the rooster is not too hard on the girls.

Quote:

Great looking hen!

Ron

 

[Happy Chooks]

Pretty girl Pele!

 

[Pele]

Thanks guys! I actually have another little girl (I hope) that I couldn't resist at the feedstore yesterday. They had a binful of little blue and yellow EEs that I just couldn't resist!

We officially were there for turkeys, so when my fiance's back was turned, I nabbed one of the EE babies, and put it in with the turkeys. We get home, my crime undetected until he looked at them closely in the brooder. He was like "Boy these sure are differen......hey is that a chicken?"

 

[ronott1]

Thanks guys! I actually have another little girl (I hope) that I couldn't resist at the feedstore yesterday. They had a binful of little blue and yellow EEs that I just couldn't resist!

We officially were there for turkeys, so when my fiance's back was turned, I nabbed one of the EE babies, and put it in with the turkeys. We get home, my crime undetected until he looked at them closely in the brooder. He was like "Boy these sure are differen......hey is that a chicken?"

From the Easter hatch thread I learned that your are supposed to have chicks to raise with the Turkeys. Apparently turkeys don't have as many instincts as chickens, so they will take their cues form the chickens an do better.

You may need to go get more chickens...

Ron