Hello All - I’m a New Member

Hi, I’m a new chicken mom… I got Martha and her 8 sisters at TS in March. I was told they were 1 day old… so they should be 19 weeks today!! Are they? They are not laying yet…. I’m still feeding them starter. They are free range from 5am till 8pm then we lock them in the coop for the night….shouldn’t they being laying by now? Are they really 19 weeks?? Any help would be great… maybe I’m just being very impatient.
Hi! Those are some lovely ladies!
They will be laying very soon. The first eggs may be what is called 'fairy eggs. They are sometimes as small as a Robin's egg.
What time do you set them at free ranging? I keep mine in the run until mid to late afternoon to discourage free range nesting. By the time it's afternoon, most of mine have laid or return to their nesting boxes.
I have one girl that likes to lay everywhere she can find a quiet place outside the coop! She's very broody!!!
Best to you!
 
Should I keep them in just the coop till noon starting now? They have a coop but no “run”, they free range on a 1/4 acre of lawn and woods all fenced in.
Yes they are all hens. I would start preparing the nest boxes with fake eggs and bedding. This will help encourage them to want to lay in the boxes. They will go play in them at first too. When they start squatting for you when you lean over them or go to pick them up, they are getting close to laying.
 
Should I keep them in just the coop till noon starting now? They have a coop but no “run”, they free range on a 1/4 acre of lawn and woods all fenced in.
A small run attached to their coop would be easy to set up and let then range later until they realize they want to use their nest boxes. I’d not worry about them laying outside the coop that much. If they begin laying in the coop, then the number of eggs falls off drastically, then I’d be concerned.
Best to you!
 

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