How early have your birds started laying?

[ibreathe4u]

Ok.....what signs do I need to look for. I am new to all of this. I got my chicks on April 6. So I think they are about 16 weeks old. Do I need to put anything in the only nesting box that is in their cage? Right now I have cedar shavings in the box. What does it mean about their face being red? I have a barred rock, a buff Orpington and an ameracauna..or it is supposed to be that kind. Here are a couple of pictures of them.

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You might want to change to Pine Shavings. Everything I've read says that Cedar shavings can cause respiratory distress in chickens.

 

[pamschick]

You might want to change to Pine Shavings.  Everything I've read says that Cedar shavings can cause respiratory distress in chickens.  

Oh ok!!! They seem to be fine now, but I will change it out. Right now they are in my old rabbit hutch which is about five feet off the ground. It has a wooden box attached in the middle. The door to the cage is right here, too. Then wire on each side. They all sleep in the box at night so I can't put many shaving in there because they kick it our. It is a great cage to keep predators out because it is so high off of the ground. We have a fox that visits us every night hungry. We live in the middle of town....although it is by far not a big city. We are in the middle of North Carolina. I haven't seen any affordable coops that are high off the ground like my rabbit hutch. Eventually, I will add on to what I have, I think or let my girls stay with my neighbor's chickens. They have a deluxe coop.

Can someone tell me how I will know my girls are ready to lay?

 

[MalMom]

I'm told when their comb and waddles turn bright red, and they do the egg song, and squat they will lay. Mine did that about three or four weeks ago and still no egg. Now I hear no song, and the aren't squatting anymore. I think mine are broken.

 

[gypsy767]

What about buff orpinton's...when do they begin laying...? Ours are 14 weeks old tomorrow (monday 7/29)

 

[woodsygal]

One of my amberlinks laid her first egg at 16 weeks and hasn't missed a day since. The other amberlinks were all laying by 19 weeks. RIR - one started at 19 weeks, the other hasn't laid yet and is 21 weeks old.

 

[regcal966]

I'm told when their comb and waddles turn bright red, and they do the egg song, and squat they will lay. Mine did that about three or four weeks ago and still no egg. Now I hear no song, and the aren't squatting anymore. I think mine are broken.

LOL! I said my chickens were broken yesterday. We were hearing the egg song a lot last week, got 1 egg. They are still squatting but no song and no egg. Than last night we got another egg. Hopefully they start laying good soon, I'm not buying anymore eggs!

 

[Studio2770]

I checked Fiona and Clara's pelvic bones today and I could barely fit 2 fingers between them. I guess I have around a week to wait.

 

[realsis]

My silkies like to wait till they are 6 to 7 months old my first two started at 6 but I have two more going on 7months and haven't laid yet.

 

[leanderbyc]

Mine just stared at 22weeks. Hope(Amareucana) was first and then took 3 days off and number 2 was today. Brownie(RIR) started Friday and has gone three straight days. All have been small so far but happy to see eggs.

 

[Studio2770]

Mine just stared at 22weeks. Hope(Amareucana) was first and then took 3 days off and number 2 was today. Brownie(RIR) started Friday and has gone three straight days. All have been small so far but happy to see eggs.

Congrats! Did your Ameraucana happen to look like my EE when she was younger?