First Egg Countdown

[ronott1]

Mama is my Buff Orpington and she's 20 weeks old. I thought I was on an egg countdown, but Mama doesn't have wattles yet.

Dorothy Gale, Columbian Wyandotte and Tripp, Barred Rock are 14 weeks. I'll be waiting a while for them.

LOL!

Last year I had Hatchery RIRs and Black Australorps. The RIRs were 5 weeks younger and laid before the BAs.

Sol, The Barred Rock may lay before the others.

Ron

 

[SunnyAlberta]

The RIRs were 5 weeks younger and laid before the BAs.

No, no, no. I have this all carefully planned.

Mama must lay the first egg. I wasn't able to get girls who lay different colours, so at least I should know who to credit for the first one.

So I said that Mama does not have wattles. She made a liar out of me. Just this morning I was visiting with her and realized she does. Do they grow THAT quickly or have I just been oblivious?

Mama is also annoyingly loud whenever I go out to them in the morning. She's calling and cackling and going to get me a noise violation if she doesn't settle down. LOL I think I'm going to insulate the side of the coop along our shared fence with hay bales as a muffler. I'm scared to think how loud she'll get when she finally does lay an egg. The Wyandotte and Barred Rock are much quieter... for now. Mama has always been loud.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: The RIRs laid the first egg at 18 weeks. The Australorps waited until 24 to 26 weeks.

Yes! the wattles can grow that fast. You are still several weeks or so from a first egg from Mama.

It will be worth it

Ron

 

[Pele]

No, no, no. I have this all carefully planned.

Mama must lay the first egg. I wasn't able to get girls who lay different colours, so at least I should know who to credit for the first one.

So I said that Mama does not have wattles. She made a liar out of me. Just this morning I was visiting with her and realized she does. Do they grow THAT quickly or have I just been oblivious?

Mama is also annoyingly loud whenever I go out to them in the morning. She's calling and cackling and going to get me a noise violation if she doesn't settle down. LOL I think I'm going to insulate the side of the coop along our shared fence with hay bales as a muffler. I'm scared to think how loud she'll get when she finally does lay an egg. The Wyandotte and Barred Rock are much quieter... for now. Mama has always been loud.

Haha, get those girls some day planners! They need to know their laying schedules!

 

[chicks n dogs]

I think I am finally on the countdown with my ladies. Can you tell me if any of the following sounds like these free loaders will soon be earning their keep.

Black sex link is red in the face for about a week and all of a sudden wants nothing to do with us.

Polish is crouching when I pet her and kind of hangs out alone now. Lots more time spent laying in the dust bath.

Speckled Sussex just getting red to her face but the girl won't stop talking. All... the... time... with her honking.

I have no clue as to their ages as everything the feed store told me to start off with was wrong. Also here is a total noob question. Do they usually lay in the morning? They all go back to the coop to drink or rest but will a hen go back to lay an egg? They are locked in at dusk until the morning.

 

[ronott1]

I think I am finally on the countdown with my ladies. Can you tell me if any of the following sounds like these free loaders will soon be earning their keep.

Black sex link is red in the face for about a week and all of a sudden wants nothing to do with us.

Polish is crouching when I pet her and kind of hangs out alone now. Lots more time spent laying in the dust bath.

Speckled Sussex just getting red to her face but the girl won't stop talking. All... the... time... with her honking.

I have no clue as to their ages as everything the feed store told me to start off with was wrong. Also here is a total noob question. Do they usually lay in the morning? They all go back to the coop to drink or rest but will a hen go back to lay an egg? They are locked in at dusk until the morning.

Congratulations! Those are all signs.

To answer your questions:

They will lay and egg roughly every 23 to 25 hours. Each hen will have her own cycle. Mine start laying in the morning(one at 7:30 this morning) and will stop in the late afternoon. When it is hot or going to freeze, you need to check the nest box in the evening or before the eggs can freeze. Where I live it rarely freezes in the day time.

They will go back to the nest box to lay the eggs. They will also find places to lay surprise eggs if they are outside of the Coop and don't have a run.

The first egg could be anywhere. One of mine last year laid her first egg by the sliding glass door.

Make sure your nest boxes are ready! Put fake eggs in them to help them figure out where to lay the eggs. When they start checking out the nest boxes, you will be a couple of days from the first egg.

Ron

 

[chicks n dogs]

I am so excited! I switched from shavings to straw in the nest boxes over the weekend and added some plastic eggs. Not sure who but someone or a few someones are kicking out all the straw but leaving the eggs. Not sure what that means, maybe go back to shavings?

I am hoping to catch them in the act since they do have a run but I let the ladies free range during the day. They don't wander to far but I surely don't want to develop a habit of having to search for their eggs.

 

[hippychickster]

We have 6 red sex linked about 15-16 weeks old and just got our first egg yesterday!! Sooo exciting!

 

[Aschenfire]

YAY for that first egg! I am still waiting on the rest of my flock to get going. The precocious EE has shown them how its done, they're just dragging their feet

 

[ronott1]

I am so excited! I switched from shavings to straw in the nest boxes over the weekend and added some plastic eggs. Not sure who but someone or a few someones are kicking out all the straw but leaving the eggs. Not sure what that means, maybe go back to shavings?

I am hoping to catch them in the act since they do have a run but I let the ladies free range during the day. They don't wander to far but I surely don't want to develop a habit of having to search for their eggs.

Yes that is a good sign!

Post a picture of your girls and when you get the first egg, post that too. We love to see them