We created our own flock. Now-a little too late did I understand that you should seperate the newbies. Ours were added 2-4 at a time until I had 12 adult hens. They are getting along for the most part, really well. I do have one that is hanging out a lot in the coop near the rafters but does come out and eat and forage in the run. Anyway. We are getting about 4-6 eggs per day. They are all supposed to be seasoned layers about one year old. They are getting lots of goodies to eat, have a huge coop and run and will soon be free ranging. Am I silly to expect more eggs? They could still be transitioning. I have added the last 6 hens two weeks ago. Am I being impatient and they will lay a little more as time goes on? I was thinking about 6-8 eggs per day. A few days we just have two or three. :jumpy
I'm new here, myself...but I think that the breed you select can have an impact on the quantity of eggs produced. I have Barred Rocks, and based on what I have read, I can expect one egg every other day (more or less) during the first two years of their life and tapering off after that. That would be 2-3 eggs per week - per chicken - during their prime. What breed did you select? Maybe others with more knowledge than me can help you Also, where did you buy them?
When I started my flock I got 3 mature hens from a feed store/poultry farm near me. My girls ages are questionable, but they laid the next day like it was no problem (oh I got a RIR, BO, and BR, and RIR roo). A week later we got 10 "laying" white leghorn hens from LSU (my DH's cousin works in poultry sciences, and gave them to us---good tip for those in areas near a university, they might sell, or give away excess birds). Ok, back to my point! My "laying" leghorns took a good month to really start laying well again. my 3 brown egg layers were outlaying my 10 white egg layers 3 to 1 ! I like to think my little "fried chicken pep talk" helped, but really I think they just finally got comfortable. Sometimes it just takes time.....good luck, I hope you get eggs soon.
I have 7 white leghorn girls and they all lay for me one egg a day! One started last Wednesday, and all the others followed suit! They were 18weeks then. I have a couple of RIR that look like they should start any day, and my GLW look pretty close too. It just depends on breed and how fast an individual grows. What breeds do you have?
Hi All! First Post on the BYC Forum! We have 6 girls. Our 3 "original" girls are silver-laced wyandottes? I think? We then added 3 RIRs. I get 4 to 5 eggs a day, all brown, all medium to large. I am feeding 16% layer pellets from local MFA co-op. My Question(s): 1. I have one RIR that I have named Sally. She just gets the daylights beat out of her everytime she goes in the coop or the run! All 5 of the others literally peck her until she, pardon the pun, flies the coop. Consequently she lives just outside the coop. My wife and daughter feed her seperately, they put her in the henhouse every morning. She lays, then clucks to the heavens and they open the henhouse and she steps onto their arm. Honestly, I think she thinks she is human -except for the egg laying part. No feathers on the back of her head from the pecking. Oh -by the way she only has one eye. Can I do anything to prevent this behavior from the others or am I doomed to having a 'pet' hen. 2. My wife has noticed that some of our eggs have a speck or two in them. THis really unnerves her and she spends a great deal of time and effort making sure that she gets the specks out. I say this is nothing to be alarmed about. We have no rooster. Does anyone have any input. Thanks jb
We have 11 chickens and so far are getting about 6 eggs a day. But they haven't all started to lay yet. I'd be tickled with 8-9 eggs a day!!
I have 8 hens and get 6-8 eggs every day, average maybe 6.7. We added 2 adult hens awhile back and it took about 6 weeks for them start laying. One of them is still the lowest on the pecking order and has issues, despite having gradually introduced them to each other.
Welcome jbaker! You will LOVE it here! I have 11 of laying age and 8 that soon will be. I get 7-9 eggs a day. I have BO, EE, Australorp, Black Sex-link and 1 bantam.
Thanks so much for all your great input. I am sorry I did not say what kind of hens. We started with one golden sex link and one RIR. Then we added two sex link. Then we added two buff orpington. Then we added 6 together-one leghorn, one EE, and 4 sex link crosses. So we went from 2 then to 4, then to 6 and then another 6 to get a total of 12. I figured 12 was a good starter number. They are all supposed to be about a year old except the buffs that are about 6 months old. The one that gets picked on is the EE or auracana. Not sure what she is. She laid two eggs when we first got her then nothing but as I said she has been picked on. Funny but she gets the top roost in the coop. I always thougt that the top bird got the top roost. yesterday was the first day that I let them out for free ranging. They seemed to enjoy it. I was hoping that by doing this they would leave the poor EE alone and find too many good bugs to keep them occupied. One last thing, The last 6 birds have only been here a little over two weeks, so I probably have not been patient enough. Thanks again. I love to hear how every one elses girls are doing in the egg department.
