How long before first egg does this behaviour start?

[SeaChick]

I need some advice, as I am about to leave on an 11-day trip and 10-year-old Olivia will be in charge of the girls...

Rita, the Red Sex Link, has the most developed comb and wattles of our 5 girls. She is 19 weeks old.

Two days ago I watched her go into the henhouse making some funny noises. She jumped up into the nest box (which no one has shown any interest in so far) and spent a couple minutes in there moving around and making these funny low anxious noises. I thought "this is it!!!" but no egg. Have been checking all over the coop every couple hours for two days and nothing. Haven't seen her go into the box again either.

Does this behaviour mean an egg in coming quite soon, or might it still be a couple of weeks? We're anxious to be sure to remove eggs ASAP so no one pecks/eats them.... and I need to know how often to tell Liv to check the coop for eggs while I am gone, i.e. daily or hourly!

Thanks!!
Stacey

 

[HenHaven]

Tell Olivia to get her catcher's mitt on, it will be anyday now!!! I bet she gets the thrill of collecting that first egg while you are gone! I would say with sexlinks, anytime after 18 weeks......Enjoy your trip!

 

[Matt Berry]

They are definitely ready to lay, it's only a matter of time now. I have a couple of pullets who are doing the same thing at 18 weeks old. I'm expecting to see an egg from them any day now.

Sometimes they like to tease you a bit before they lay. My black australorp Big Moma, started laying last week, so far she has laid three eggs. Last night she was sitting, doing the low clucking / purring, but no egg. I finally gave up waiting, and went inside. I even checked this morning still no egg. Hopefully tonight will be better, I'm expecting the others to start laying real soon to, by the way they've been acting.

It wasn't too long after Big Moma started to show the signs that she was ready to start laying that she did.

 

[schmoo]

I would say anytime now. Thats exactly what mine did the day before I got an egg. She went in the nest and "tried" but nothing until the following day. I would'nt bother making the sitter check every hour LOL. My eggs sometimes sit in the box all day and they are just fine.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Any time now...the wierd in and out, I'm a cat behaviour will go on for a while before you finally get an egg...