How can I tell if they have started laying yet?

[pemphredo]

I know exactly who is laying what now. My RIR, Ponderosa lays the most often she gives 2 eggs in a 24 hour time frame she lays the fat brown eggs, Tender my mix breed lays the lighter colored fat eggs. My Barnivelder, Rotunda lays long skinny dark brown eggs. her eggs you can never tell the top from the bottom LOL I had seen Tender lay her egg before. then the other day i saw Rotunda lay an egg. The one I had thought was laying an egg ended up being a rooster and he was returned and I got a Dominique hen we named Ellanore. She hasn't started to lay yet. And my other hen is starting to look a bit roostery... she is like 13 weeks old... no comb development or wattles yet BUT it has pointy hackle feathers...

 

[pemphredo]

the left 4 are Rotunda's eggs from 5 days. The middle 5 are Poderosa's eggs. The Right 4 are tender's eggs












and these are pictures of my new dominique hen Ellanore.

 

[denise wills]

Is it possible you have someone playing a trick on you? My next door neighbor put fake eggs in the nest one evening but what he didnt know way everyone had already laid for the day and I collect eggs around 10:00 am.

 

[bruceha2000]

Seems like with 3 hens laying you would be getting more than 3 eggs every two days. Though I suppose that would be expected if they were a "3-4" a week breeds and they each lay only every other day. Could be one of the girls was slacking and finally decided to start working to her potential?

There is no free lunch. Put out the eggs or YOU are lunch.

Well, Ok, that won't be happening at my house. But it could at OTHER people's houses.

Bruce

 

[montanachicks]

I am in the same boat trying to future out which of my girls are laying and who lays what.
Questions: will a chicken sit on an egg if she herself has not started laying yet?
Will a chicken who is laying not sit in the boxes at all other than when she lays her egg?
I have 6 girls all born the first week of April. 3 are now laying routinly and 3 are not. I had assumed the layers where my 2 RIR and my leghorn. But my barred rock has been having the rooster follow her around a lot recently and I wonder if maybe she is laying and only one RIR is laying. But both my RIR will sit in the boxes for periods throughout the day. The eggs are always two different shades each day (or can RIR lay different shades to each bird) I know the third egg is from my leghorn as I get a white egg 6 days a week and she OS my only white egg layer. Thanks for any tips as I am so proud of my girls its nice to tell everyone who's eggs they are enjoying.
Also is there something wrong that the other 3 girls are 5 months now and not laying yet? It has been very hot here but I have been very meticulous about keeping the girls cool and comfortable.

I have 6 BO that are now 7 months old and STILL not laying!!!

So I am happy that yours are laying for as young as they are!!! I keep expecting new eggs every day, but each day..... same old same old!! I have heard that BO's tend to be a little late in starting to lay...just wish they would do SOMETHING soon.

 

[SOchic4]

can somebody load a pic of an egg from a barred plymoth rock or a golden comet so i can tell who is laying? thanks

 

[Rhoise]

can somebody load a pic of an egg from a barred plymoth rock or a golden comet so i can tell who is laying? thanks


The first picture is a barred rock, (the spots are bloom) Second picture eggs are from 2 golden sex links(large med brown) on the right, barred rock(pullet egg creamy pinkish brown) bottom left, and amber white top left(darker rich brown my faves!)

 

[pan eden farms]

There is a very easy way to tell who is laying and its a very tried and true method anyone can do... Get some food coloring, NOT RED!!!!!, and an eye dropper with a touch ( (TBSP)of mineral oil Insert this into the hens vent very gently and only about an 1/4 in. Squeeze the eye dropper till empty. The next egg the hen lays will have this color on the shell. Use one color per bird, for three consecutive days. Then you will know who is laying and how often. White eggs are easier to see, but can be done with brown eggs also. I think green, blue and purple are easiest to see on the brown eggs.Yellow will work for hens you know have light colored eggs
Leghorns make the job easy, look for white legs! Hens that arent laying will have yellow legs, the longer the hen has been laying, the whiter the legs..
Hope that helps

Pan Eden Farms

 

[traceywasleys]

by 24weeks they should be laying

 

[NanaArizona]

Also, when you reach for them they squat