How do you know when EEs are ready to lay?

We have one successfully laying EE and one that is going to lay within the next week (I predict). Their little pea combs get a lot more red than your picture, they are really sing songy, squatting all the time, and a bit more cuddly. Martha has been laying for a week & a half, and Georgia, who looks like your girl, has either disappointed us with a darker brown egg or is about to lay any day now given her appearance and behavior. Good luck (I'd say your girl in the photo isn't laying yet - I hope you get a pretty color)!!!

PS Martha didn't lay until 30 1/2 weeks (hatched 3/26/2010) - so you may have a wait.

 

For my EE, she squatted for me about a week before she started to lay. The sqat is them assuming the position they would need to be in for a roo to mate with them. It is a definite change in behavior, from running away from you to simply squatting for you.

Enjoy your eggs and your birds.

 

I got mine in Feb. With mine, the combs were bright red. Several started sitting in the boxes before they started. Then, they all started laying at around 20 weeks and laid an egg a day for about 4 months. Now, they are ALL on strike. I have not had any eggs.

 

BTW, the chicken in the the picture looks exactly like mine that I named Ginger. She lays a pretty light blue egg.

 

I have several EE's that look like yours; they lay a lovely blue egg. They were the last of their mixed breed batch to start, probably around 30-35 weeks.

I know of one person on here whose EE did not start til she was a year old! Let's hope yours don't wait that long.

 

Quote:I have 4 EE's from a May 29th hatch and they don't even appear ready yet. Maybe by Christmas.

 

i have found that they will get very fluffy feathers on the back half of their bodies. I predicted it just right for mine.