First eggs, nesting boxes - now what? pics

[JimmyMack]

Hello all. Thanks in advance for any help. I tried searching the archives, but way too many posts.

Newbie here. 6 hens, all 18 weeks old, free range all day. At 17 weeks, found two soft shelled eggs in bottom of coop in morning. Opened up nesting boxes. I have not seen any other eggs since then. I have searched property where they gather, but have not seen. I have also been delaying the time at which I open the coop and let them out in an attempt to train them to lay in the nesting boxes in the morning. Nothing since then. I expecting too much? Is there a delay between the first egg and subsequent egg layings?

Also, occasionally I hear one of the hens cackling/sqwawking quite loud for a short period, maybe 15 seconds, out in the woods. Is this an hen laying an egg? Do they make a noise?

I think I know which have layed the egg by their squatting behavior. Another hen is seriously red in the face, so she appears "due"?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[7L Farm]

They can lay their first egg & take a few days off. You might want to lock them up for a few days so they can learn to lay in the boxes. I always leave mine open to avoid this. I figure before they start laying they will be curious & check out the boxes & figure out where to lay. Its always worked for me. I free range & they always return to their nest boxes to lay. They usually nothing etched in stone lay about an hour are so different everyday & may skip a day. Its hard to figure them out.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Agree. And they can sing (sounds like bok bok bok bok BAGAWWKK!) before, during and after they lay.