I want eggs!

Suess hens

Songster
11 Years
May 4, 2008
338
1
139
Altadena, CA
Okay, I have been through a lot with these chickens, lost a few, saved many, a lot of fun chasing, a few pecks and scratches, and a desire to kill the neighbor's cat who apparently never goes home.
I now have 2-18 week old EEs, 1-14 week old BR, and then the rest just get younger. I live in Southern Cal. Still nice and warm, girls get lots of sun, have huge area to run, and often get to free range (depends on what time I get home, I leave as the sun comes up). When will I have my first egg. I am starting to get anxious....yes anxious, excited and nervous about my first reaction, and what their reaction will be--hoping for no cannibal chickens. I have been good until about 3 days ago. I haven't been really picky, haven't been pestering them, I look in the boxes, but never expect anything. But now, I almost dread going because I think: "There won't be anything, I shouldn't even look, I will be so sad."
DH threatened them, but he rarely goes out there so I am sure they didn't take him seriously.
How much longer?
 
My bantam cochin is ~24 weeks and my standards are about 20. I think that the RIR is getting very close but the others are giving no signs.

It's murphy's law of the 1st laying hen: the one you're least attached to because of skittishness will be the first to lay and pay her rent.
 
You're getting close. Watch for a different range of sounds, for changes in face/combs...and more pecking order behavior. Then you get eggs!
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Maybe you can encourage the chicken thought process by putting fake eggs in the boxes?
I have 2 Ameracaunas, 2 silver pencils, 4 RIR, 3 partridge rocks. (bantys) They are all 12 weeks old.

Now you have me excited!!! I got a ways to go. You said yours are 18 weeks. Argh!
 
I have golf balls in the nesting boxes. I even have EE colored golf balls in the boxes....thinking maybe that would help them more than just a stinkin' white one. Alas, there is still nothing. I am going to go and see if I can con them with a treat.
 
My RIR's started laying at 19 1/2 weeks, right after I started chanting various ways to cook chicken everytime I checked on them!
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They will lay.....eventually.
 

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