How close are we to getting our first egg?

[mtnviewfarms]

We have 24 BR pullets and 4 roos - all will be 20 weeks old on Sunday. We've raised them since day old.
They are having sex constantly and the the majority of the pullets have very dark red earlobes and wattles.
We've had the nesting boxes up now for a week and have mixture of dried grass and pine needles in the
nests. The chickens have been sitting in the nestbox and investigating it - Roos too. Anyone who has BRs
care to hazard a guess at how close we are to getting our first 'anxiously awaited' egg? Thanks.

 

[hcppam]

Close, that's all I can say.

 

[bairo]

Sometime between a few days ago (if you missed the eggs that might be laying anywhere in the coop or run, or anywhere else if they are free ranging) and the next 4 weeks
I know that first egg is like the first rainbow you saw as a child

 

[bairo]

ps...if they are free ranging, I would go ahead and lock them in the run until they start laying and IN THE BOXES before I let them back out. Or its going to be like easter every day

)

 

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

My BRs laid at about 22 weeks, by Buff Orpingtons at 24. I think it really varies by bird and season.

 

[mtnviewfarms]

Thanks for the replys. I especially loved the comment about the 'first egg' being like seeing your first rainbow as a child!
We keep all of the chickens inside a large indoor chicken house that has huge windows and lots of space. We don't vac
our birds ( they did get Mareks vac as day olds at the hatchery ) and we fear letting them outside due to exposure to
avian diseases from wild birds. We're thinking of making them an outdoor run but they are currently so healthy and seem
very happy and unstressed in their current housing situation with two large tubs I fill with sand and dirt for them to bathe
and their big 'treat ball' purchased at Tractor Supply and we add grit to their food supply and they get lots of treats in the
way of garden greens, melons and their ultimate favorite - strawberry tops. We would LOVE to see them 'free ranging'
but we have 5 dogs ourselves and their are 'packs' of other ones around so a chicken tractor would have to be built like
a 'Sherman Tank' to protect them and I've read so many horrific incidents here on the forum of injured and mutilated free-rangers
that we feel, 'if it ain't broke - don't fix it' as they seem so content and are so healthy in the safety of their airy and roomy
house. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[OLCHOOK]

You can tell how close your pullets are to laying by the width of their pelvic bones. You pick one up (or better yet, have someone else pick it up) and present it's rear end to you. Feel around the top sides of her vent until you feel the pointy pelvic bones. The method is based on how many fingers you can fit between the pelvic bones. We use the 2.5 measure here. If you can fit 2 and a half finger tips across the pelvis, they're close. Many breeds are slow developers and birds can take a few weeks after hopping in and out of nest boxes before they lay. It's a good guide but the fingers are better.

I have quite a few variations on the Sussex breed. Lights, Buffs, Silvers and Reds.

Cheers,

Linz

 

[Happy Chooks]

If they are breeding, it won't be much longer.