How can I tell when the hens are about ready to start laying?

[tupperval]

Our Black Copper Maren Hen is giving us an egg every day. She laid her first egg on July 3 (at about 4 months). The first few were spread out and irregular, but the last 2 weeks she has been like clockwork, every morning just before noon. She did miss one day and the next day's egg was twice the size. I had some for lunch today, DELICIOUS!

At what age do most hens start to lay?

The roos are very interested in the other hens and the hens are showing interest in the roos, so I'm thinking others will be starting soon. My Crested Cream Legbar was caught checking out the nesting boxes the other day, maybe she was just curious. I do have some ceramic eggs in them.

This is Gidget, she is my favorite. She enjoys being held and is the easiest one to catch. I think she is going to start laying soon, but I'm not sure.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It depends on breeds, breeding, and feeding mostly. Most start laying between 4-7 months of age, but a few can take longer, up to a year, for some ornamental breeds, and show bred birds.

 

[barred2rock]

A pullet that's near lay will check out their nest boxes, squat when hovered over and may sing the egg song. A laying pullet will do all the above and have a larger wet vent.

ETA: Oh, and a pullet near lay will have a large deep red comb & wattles.

 

[tupperval]

Ok, the large red wattles and combs makes scene, but I've just identified the hens from the roosters.

 

[Dayrel]

A very good article just came up on this subject about a day ago:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chickens-getting-ready-to-lay.72752/

 

[TexasSam]

Mess up the nest and see if it looks like it has been adjusted for the next couple of days

 

[GaryDean26]

I check the pelvic bones. A young pullet or hen that is not laying will have pelvic bones that are closed together and very stiff. a pullet that is getting ready to lay will have the bones move apart and they become very flexible.

I also feel the abdomen. If it is tight and hard then the pullets is not ready to lay. When they get ready to lay it becomes very soft.

Yes, watch the combs and wattles. They tell you a lot more than just who are the pullets and who are the cockerels. The cockerels start to get big bright combs and wattles at 4-8 weeks old. The pullets still have small pale pink combs and wattles at that age. When they get ready to lay their combs and wattles will get as bright red as the cockerels.

Of course an egg in the laying box is always a good sign that they are starting to lay too.

 

[aart]

Our Black Copper Maren Hen is giving us an egg every day. She laid her first egg on July 3 (at about 4 months).

Really?! Never heard of a BCM laying so young...sure it's not a black sexlink?
They look very like BCM and often lay pretty dark eggs.

 

[GaryDean26]

I had Cottage Hill Line Black Copper Marans laying at 18 weeks. There are some Marans that can really lay. What I feed them seemed to be a bigger factor in when they started to lay genetic factors though. I could slow them down a month by feeding them lower protien or speed them up a month by feeding them higher protien. Our Marans crossed started lay at the same time as our pure Marans did. The crossed however layed a lot more eggs in the first year.

 

[Engine823]

I have always noticed my pullets will squat for me when close to laying. Seems to be within a week or so of laying. I assume that means they are mature enough to be bred and are squating for the rooster, ( Me, HA HA )