Hens laying their first egg!

[Shaun89174]

Hi guys. We're in a our first year of keeping chickens and I was wondering if there's anything I should be doing to help the girls lay. We have 1 black tail 3 goldline and 3 cream legbar girls. All around 19 23 weeks of age and there doesn't seem to be any sign of any egg laying activity. They have fresh water and feed daily and readily have grit avaliable. Because of the light levels throughout the shorter winter months, mightnt we get any eggs till next year now? Any help tips and advice is welcome

 

[DobieLover]

Hi guys. We're in a our first year of keeping chickens and I was wondering if there's anything I should be doing to help the girls lay. We have 1 black tail 3 goldline and 3 cream legbar girls. All around 19 23 weeks of age and there doesn't seem to be any sign of any egg laying activity. They have fresh water and feed daily and readily have grit avaliable. Because of the light levels throughout the shorter winter months, mightnt we get any eggs till next year now? Any help tips and advice is welcome

They are still a bit young. But with the shorter days, they may not lay until the spring.
You've seen no signs of squatting when you reach down to touch one?

 

[SulkyBantam]

Hi guys. We're in a our first year of keeping chickens and I was wondering if there's anything I should be doing to help the girls lay. We have 1 black tail 3 goldline and 3 cream legbar girls. All around 19 23 weeks of age and there doesn't seem to be any sign of any egg laying activity. They have fresh water and feed daily and readily have grit avaliable. Because of the light levels throughout the shorter winter months, mightnt we get any eggs till next year now? Any help tips and advice is welcome

They sound lovely. I have a cream legbar too, she is older than yours and not yet laying either.
Are you feeding them layers pellets? This often speeds it up.

I think ours will lay through the winter even if just a little, when they first start it is hard to stop them... though yours are a little younger, it is different for every bird.

It sounds like you are giving them the best encouragement possible. DobieLover is right, when they squat they will usually lay within the next couple of weeks.
So keep an eye out!

 

[Shaun89174]

Not as such no I think or thought that was just their way of escaping us. Were also have an issue of 2 or 3 of them persisting to sleep in the nest boxes even after putting them on the roost bars.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Not as such no I think or thought that was just their way of escaping us. Were also have an issue of 2 or 3 of them persisting to sleep in the nest boxes even after putting them on the roost bars.

Ha yes, ours do that too.
You could make them 'nest box curtains' but ours would do so anyway.

As ours get older they have more of an interest in the perches, it may come with laying.

I let them because I can't move them every night. It is irritating though!

 

[Shaun89174]

Yeah we've been feeding them layers for about 3-4 weeks now. They also get some mixed poultry corn once or twice a week. Will there be a noticeable difference between the squat position and the sitting position?

 

[DobieLover]

Are you feeding them layers pellets? This often speeds it up.

I'm sorry but this just isn't true. Someone misinformed you. A birds maturation rate and hormones will dictate when she will produce her first egg.
A chicken shouldn't be fed all that extra calcium until they are producing eggs.
I personally have never fed layer feed to my flock. They get Flock Raiser with oyster shell on the side.

 

[Shaun89174]

Yeah our coop design makes it pretty difficult to be able to transfer them from nest box to roost easily. We also made them a new coop from the one they were brought up in and I'm not sure if the change has disoriented them a little.

 

[DobieLover]

Yeah we've been feeding them layers for about 3-4 weeks now. They also get some mixed poultry corn once or twice a week. Will there be a noticeable difference between the squat position and the sitting position?

Please see post #7.
When a pullet squats, she flattens to the ground and spreads her upper wings out. This is in preparation to be mounted by a cockerel/rooster. It is not at all like sitting.
Layer feed contains about 3-4x as much calcium as a chicken needs for their metabolic processes. That extra calcium is for egg shell production. If the body isn't producing egg shells, the kidneys need to work over time to rid the body of the excess calcium.
Additionally, layer mixes offer the minimal amounts of protein for the bird. I much prefer to offer a complete feed with 18-20% protein and keep the additional calcium (oyster shell) they need in a separate container for them to access free choice.
The higher protein feed is particularly important to those keepers who are heavy handed with the treats. Corn should be fed in extreme moderation.

Chickens hate change. Any change causes stress and can cause them to not/stop lay. The coop change is stressful. When did the pullets start sleeping in the nest boxes? Was it when they were first introduced to their new coop? Can you post pictures of your coop?

 

[SulkyBantam]

Yeah we've been feeding them layers for about 3-4 weeks now. They also get some mixed poultry corn once or twice a week. Will there be a noticeable difference between the squat position and the sitting position?

Ours plant their feet more firmly, they splay their wings in a V-like position and may give a little cluck. They could escape immediately after though!

I'm sorry but this just isn't true. Someone misinformed you. A birds maturation rate and hormones will dictate when she will produce her first egg.
A chicken shouldn't be fed all that extra calcium until they are producing eggs.
I personally have never fed layer feed to my flock. They get Flock Raiser with oyster shell on the side.

I am pretty sure this is true, it is not only calcium in the feed you know.

So many people who keep chickens feed them layers a bit earlier than necessary, they do often lay faster but also it is good for them throughout their laying lives.

It is the hormones that dictate the general time but trust me, the feed makes a difference too. Maybe it is different for your flock.