How do I know when my cirls are ready to strart laying eggs?! Also A hen is making a weird noise?

[GypsyChick89]

I have 15 chcikens all together 5 Barred Rocks, 5 Gold Laced Wyandotts and 5 Silver laced Wayndotts. I have had them since chicks and are about 16 1/12 weeks old. I have added new nesting boxes to their coop and they don't seem to be fans of it. I took their old roosting bar our because there are two of them attached to the nesting boxes but I think the arms need to be moved out from the boxes a little more, I think they think there isnt enough room to roost. I am also in the process of adding on to the back of their coop for more space in the winter months.

Also One of my hens has stated to make a strange noise it almost sounds like she is " Honking"... Is she getting sick? or whats the deal? I just noticed it today when she was up by the house with a few of the other girls.

 

[Banana Hen]

The laying I cannot answer. But the noise is crowing. Yes, crowing. I have a crowing hen. It does not resemble a crow, because she does not have it down like the roosters. It does not mean that she will have a gender change or anything, she just crows. As far as I know, it won't affect laying.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do a thread search for "the egg song". compare it to your girl's honking. Are you positive she's not a he??? Can you post a picture?

 

[GypsyChick89]

I just heard her doing it yesterday for the first time, I can try and her a picture of her tomorrow, it really gross here right now so they are in their coop.I'm not sure unless I see her or hear her doing it I can tell her apart from the 4 Barred Rocks. She looks like all the other hens and I would think id she was a he her comb and little cheeks would be bigger? She might be the bigger of the 5. I will search for the egg song also