How can I tell if they have started laying yet?

[pemphredo]

well I was looking at my eggs I have got since I started getting multiple eggs a day and I still don't think it is a new layer. I know who lays what and I only have 3 types of eggs. I have noticed my rhode island red in the nest a lot.... maybe she is laying more eggs than normal?
here are 2 more pictures of the chicken I thought might have been laying the extra egg... but... I am starting to think this may be a rooster...

 

[7 Biddies]

I have 7 pullets, and 4 are definitely laying. I get 3 brown and 1 green egg most days. I thought I had a 5th one laying, because about a week ago I had 4 brown and no green eggs. I was worried that my other EE was laying brown eggs, because she started squatting when her sister did. But, it hasn't happened since, so I'm thinking someone popped out 2 in one day; especially since I only got 3 the day before.

I've finally given up trying to figure it out. They're too cagey for me, and it takes too much time to watch who goes in the hen house and if she's left an egg behind. Some day I'll get 7 eggs and then I'll be able to tell what color the other EE is laying!!

 

[pemphredo]

Ok so the hen I have seen in the nest the most is the RIR

... BUT that girl will set on any egg. I put a fake wooden egg in there randomly today... no one near the nest at the time. I come back a few min later and she was sitting on the wooden egg. I removed the wooden egg so she wont go broody and one of the other chickens came in laid and egg and left... she went and sat on their egg.... so I have no clue who is laying... the one I think may have started laying I found yesterday BY the nest but not on it and an egg in the nest that was freshly laid... it still was hot and had liquid on it like fresh...

but so I got 1 egg yesterday ... the fresh one and the chicken in the pictures above was by the nest... today I got 3 eggs... the RIR was on top of all 3 of them... so IDK about her... LOL

Might I add I got the egg yesterday morning before 9am and I got all 3 of the other eggs before 10am this morning....


these eggs look like all the other eggs I get... like what I am saying is I match them up every day when I get eggs and I have what looks like 4 dif eggs... how ever I have 2 that look a lot alike but there is just a slight difference in the size shape and color... but it is so slight that I just don't know... one is like hardly a shade lighter hardly a bit smaller and just a bit more oval... LOL

 

[pemphredo]

OK well... that solves that... the one I thought was laying eggs... is a rooster... LOL so HE for sure is not laying eggs. LOL so it looks like I have a chicken that is laying 2 eggs in a 24 hours span constantly...

 

[7 Biddies]

I give up. They're driving me nuts. I checked the nest box Sunday night when the girls went to bed (empty) to be sure I'd start out the new day fresh, knowing who laid what. I thought for sure I had it figured out yesterday when I found a tiny egg early in the morning along with a large one. "Aha! Olivia (the bantam) and Aretha (the Australorp; first to lay) have gifted me this morning. Later in the day, I got two more: a light brown and a green. No problemmo; I know who laid these.

THEN, around 2pm I see Olivia sitting in the nesting box and find a tiny, warm egg in there when she leaves.

Ok. So, who laid the tiny one first thing in the morning?

Sneaky chickens.

 

[pemphredo]

they are sneaky LOL I started out fresh too thinking yes I am going to know who laid what. first thing in the morning I had the lightest egg and I know my mix Tender laid it she is my only 1 to lay light eggs. then I saw all the chickens sitting in the nest. I go to check and no eggs so no chickens in the nest any more. then I see just 1 chicken in the nest and I go to check and there are 3 eggs under her........

all 3 were dark brown eggs... so I know that tender didn't lay any and I knwo the one I thougth was laying is a rooster so it for sure isn't him.... I don't mind someone is giving me 2 eggs a day I just want to know who LOL

 

[pemphredo]

to be honest though I think it is my RIR giving me 2 eggs a day.

 

[nakstk]

Egg sizes can vary a bit. I weigh and date each and every one of my eggs. Most are 1.8 to 1.9 ounces but on the hotter days they are 1.7 to 1.8ounces. It's not lot but they are smaller and sometimes the shape is different too. Some are more rounded and some are more pointed.
Are the younger pullets squatting? They might be laying and you just don't know. You could always put a few drops of food coloring on their vent feathers and you will know for sure that way. Just make sure to use different colors for each one and write down who has what color.

 

[pemphredo]

You could always put a few drops of food coloring on their vent feathers and you will know for sure that way. Just make sure to use different colors for each one and write down who has what color.

I love the food coloring idea! My younger ones are not acting like they are laying. well I only have 2 younger ones and 1 is a rooster and the other is just too small still doesn't even have her wottles or comb yet.

 

[7 Biddies]

I give up. They're driving me nuts. I checked the nest box Sunday night when the girls went to bed (empty) to be sure I'd start out the new day fresh, knowing who laid what. I thought for sure I had it figured out yesterday when I found a tiny egg early in the morning along with a large one. "Aha! Olivia (the bantam) and Aretha (the Australorp; first to lay) have gifted me this morning. Later in the day, I got two more: a light brown and a green. No problemmo; I know who laid these.

THEN, around 2pm I see Olivia sitting in the nesting box and find a tiny, warm egg in there when she leaves.
Ok. So, who laid the tiny one first thing in the morning?

Sneaky chickens.

To add to the confusion, I came home today to find Olivia, my most recent layer, in the nest box. I left her alone to lay in peace. She typically takes only 30 minutes, tops, to lay and return to the run to play with the others. After 2 hours she hadn't come out, so I checked on her to see what was up. She was just sitting there on her egg. Attempting to hatch it. I have no roos. Girls only. The egg was HOT from her little body. I picked her up, removed the egg, and set her on the floor. She ran into the run with the others, but is back in the nest sitting on the fake ceramic eggs.

She's laid maybe 5 or 6 eggs in her whole life and is broody!! ALREADY!!

I wonder if there's a rehab program for chicken owners?