How do I know when my girls are ready to lay?

[Goober1201]

My girls were all born at the beginning of April and some of my Buffs and RIR are laying in the dirt making there little area and acting a bit strange. Are they ready to lay? How do I get them to lay in the coop if there ready? And what are the classic signs?

Thanks all

 

[RaeRae2]

Born the beginning of April means they are REALLY young. Too young to lay yet, I would think. My birds just turned 20 weeks old yesterday (5 months) and I got my very first egg yesterday. I have some very early maturing breeds too.

In all the years I've had chickens off and on, I've always thought they would start to lay around the 5-6 month mark.

Mine got extremely noisey and cackly and started squatting down every time I tried to pet them for a full 2-3 weeks before this first egg came yesterday. The squatting means they are reaching maturity. They just started lightly checking out the nests here and there but nothing really serious that I saw.

 

[CindyJeann]

...laying in the dirt making there little area and acting a bit strange...

Sounds like they are taking a dust bath. When they start getting ready to lay they will start making what I call "labor pain sounds" which sounds like sort of a cross between grunting and laughing. They will find a place to "hide" to lay, which is why nesting boxes are usualy small and enclosed. And, after they lay the will sing the egg song.

 

[Daisy8s]

They're most likely taking dust baths in the dirt. This helps keep them cool during the heat and also rids them of mites/lice by moving the dirt through their feathers. It is really weird to watch a chicken dust bathe--they look like they're flailing around, I thought mine were having a seizure the first time I saw it.

Be sure that your nesting boxes are lower than your roosts, be sure they're big enough so a hen can sit inside comfortably but also provide some measure of privacy/darkness. The hen would rather feel secluded than exposed. Straw is nice but other materials work well, too. I put two inches of sand in the bottom to aid clean-up in case there's a lot of poop or a broken egg. Then, I have a few inches of straw on top of that. Makes for a well-cushioned box.

When it gets close to 20 weeks start looking carefully for eggs. I found a nice little nest of three eggs on the floor of the coop because my NHR started laying before I thought she would and I'd had the nesting boxes blocked off because they'd been sleeping in there. I simply moved those eggs up into the nesting box, thoroughly disturbed the area where she'd been laying, and she transitioned up to the nesting box without any problem. All the other hens followed her suit when they began to lay shortly thereafter.

 

[Goober1201]

see, and that is why I joined this group..lol. I have no clue what Im looking for. I have about 3 that are doing that to me and that squat when I get near them, the one I thought was sick cuz she wont stop, but now I know that she MIGHT be getting ready. I thought they were to young also, I was told that they should be ready but I didn't think so. That and I'm still trying to tell the boys from girls, I got 4 roos, well I think the 1 is a hen, and with the O buffs, 2 of them look different than the 1 that looks like a hen, non were straight run. ugg..lol

 

[Goober1201]

should I get nesting boxes now? I was told by the feed store not to get them yet. But I was thinking it would be OK by now... BUT I would rather someone from here tell me!! Thanks

 

[mcjessen]

If they have started squatting and their combs and wattles are getting very red, they are getting ready. But, they're not there yet. I would guess you could have another 4-5 weeks to go. But you never, ever know until you find that first egg. You could get the nest boxes but I'd wait another couple weeks to install them. My Buff Orps didn't start laying until between 20 and 24 weeks old. I don't have experience with RIR's so I can't offer any advice on that breed.

 

[CindyJeann]

Chickens are opportunistic layers. They like to lay their eggs in someone elses nest so that they can raise the babies and pay for childcare, etc. If you have nesting boxes with golf balls or ceramic eggs in place ahead of time they think it's a safe place to lay and maybe you will have less trouble with wild nests.