How long between eggs at first

[MountainMike]

Hello Everyone. I have four red sex links that are going on 19 weeks old. They free range all day, and go into a cage in the barn at night, as the coop is still under construction. I was told not to expect eggs until around six months, but i found one in the cage last friday morning, and now nothing since. I am wondering if it is normal to go a while in between laying once they start, or do i have eggs hiding outside. I have looked all around where you would think they would try to lay and dont see any. I have since built a couple nest boxes for outside, like little dog houses, I'll post a pic of them for some opinions. any tips on getting them to use them, or where they should be placed would be aprecciated. Thanks to all of you for the great info on this site.

 

[fldiver97]

from WI. Can't tell you much about the "break" in eglaying....What I know (not firsthand though as my girls have not delivered the goods yet!!!!!! Waiting, not so patiently....anyday now.....) is that egglaying can be a bit erratic in the beginning. Smaller size, misshapen eggs, not daily etc. Which does not mean that there is a hidey spot she has chosen.....I would try to look for areas that a chicken would be attracted to....safe, covered, darkish. And I think you may want to try to encourage use of the nest boxes....place a couple of fake (wooden or ceramic) eggs or golfballs in them, maybe confine the chickens a bit longer in the morning (in the hopes that they lay before they go walkabout). Good luck,

I don't think any of my girls has laid an egg yet that is hidden but it would not surprise me if they would not go by the book

 

[texasgal]

A big Texas size

 

[granmahen]

When mine were first starting some were sporatic, others like clock work. My australorp was a once a weeker for a while. If you let them out right away in the a.m., sure, they could be laying elsewhere, I'd look under bushes, behind things, they do like their privacy. I agree you should put golf balls in their boxes to encourage them, stick the girls in there too, now and then. They'll get into a routine after a while but its slow going at first. Congrats on your first egg.