I'm getting antsy... when will they lay???

[bruceha2000]

Chickens are like cats ... they'll do it when they darn well feel like it and not one minute before!!

Heeeyyyy, wait just a minute. I have 3 cats and not a darned one of them is laying eggs. I didn't even know they were supposed to! We've had one of them for 3 years (now ~ 5 years old) and one for 5 (now 8 years old) plus Checkers (found dumped by the side of the road June 2011, probably not even 6 weeks old) and all I've gotten is a litter box full of .... well we all know what cats put in the litter box. OK, I'm going to read them the riot act tomorrow, start laying or it's the pot for you!! We'll, not Checkers; only 15 months old and I don't think we'll get any eggs from him anyway.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Heeeyyyy, wait just a minute. I have 3 cats and not a darned one of them is laying eggs. I didn't even know they were supposed to! We've had one of them for 3 years (now ~ 5 years old) and one for 5 (now 8 years old) plus Checkers (found dumped by the side of the road June 2011, probably not even 6 weeks old) and all I've gotten is a litter box full of .... well we all know what cats put in the litter box. OK, I'm going to read them the riot act tomorrow, start laying or it's the pot for you!! We'll, not Checkers; only 15 months old and I don't think we'll get any eggs from him anyway.

Well, cats don't lay eggs but they certainly have attitudes as do the chickens and they both seem to provide more "deposits" than I like to clean up!

 

[bruceha2000]

I decided to cut the cats some slack. Mostly because I remembered that they are both spayed. They don't have egg laying equipment any more so it isn't their fault. Of course, I then read your post so I'm glad I didn't beat up on them for not doing something they can't do.

Yes, they certainly do each have their own personalities. I got some attitude from Peep (Cubalaya) last Sunday when I went to let them out of the coop. They all came charging into the indoor run, as usual. I brought a few kitchen scraps and once decimated all the girls except Peep headed out the barn door. She went back into the coop and kept beating on the feeder. Empty! OK, so I filled it but I swear she was saying "What are you trying to do, starve us to death!!????" Probably some choice "4 letter" chicken words too.

At least the cats always (OK, ALMOST always) put the deposits in the same, appropriate, desired place. Those darn chickens, they don't care where they poop! I changed both the chicken doors from bottom hinge/ramp doors to side hinge. The girls had pooped all over both of them. And I thought I was being nice. The one into the coop is glass so they can see out. Not so easy when it has been "fowled".

Bruce

 

[wildcat chix]

I'm in the same boat as you, 2 EE hens and 5 Leghorns all bought before mid - April and no eggs from them yet. The Leghorns are varying sizes but the largest are startting to redden in the comb and all 7 of them seem to be squatting.
So far, no blue or green eggs yet, as it really is the EEs I'm waiting on

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I decided to cut the cats some slack. Mostly because I remembered that they are both spayed. They don't have egg laying equipment any more so it isn't their fault. Of course, I then read your post so I'm glad I didn't beat up on them for not doing something they can't do.

Yes, they certainly do each have their own personalities. I got some attitude from Peep (Cubalaya) last Sunday when I went to let them out of the coop. They all came charging into the indoor run, as usual. I brought a few kitchen scraps and once decimated all the girls except Peep headed out the barn door. She went back into the coop and kept beating on the feeder. Empty! OK, so I filled it but I swear she was saying "What are you trying to do, starve us to death!!????" Probably some choice "4 letter" chicken words too.

At least the cats always (OK, ALMOST always) put the deposits in the same, appropriate, desired place. Those darn chickens, they don't care where they poop! I changed both the chicken doors from bottom hinge/ramp doors to side hinge. The girls had pooped all over both of them. And I thought I was being nice. The one into the coop is glass so they can see out. Not so easy when it has been "fowled".

Bruce

"fowled"!!!!

I did see somone who has built a "litter box" under their roosts so that they just scoop it every morning just like a cat box. They said they got the idea from the coop pages on BYC. If you figure out how to get the chicks to use it all day, PM me because I would love to know.


Back on the egg subject, still waiting on 4 girls.

22 weeks now.

 

[memechick]

I'm waiting also!! My four yard ladies are 23 weeks old. I have a Buff Orpington, Australorp, Barred Rock, RIR. No eggs. All have bright red combs and wattles. No squatting. I'm getting antsy too! LOL Everyone I know is now asking me if I got any eggs yet. The answer is still "not yet".

 

[Puddin Fluff]

We have 5 pullets, the Araucana has been laying for 2 weeks now, daily. Talked to some folks on the Favorelle thread and they said theirs just started at 24 weeks so my 3 Favs have a couple of weeks. I also have a Houdan and talked to someone on that thread and they have a 27 week old that still isn't laying. Strange how different they can all be. Our hens were from 4-H pullet chain last year and they began at 15 1/2 weeks.

 

[srd5757]

You guys are cracking me up!!! Not sure why I haven't been getting updates on this thread or I would have remembered to update you all on my egg 'issues'!

Ha... Well, our New Hamp has been laying for about a week and a half. The first two were pretty small, but they are already getting almost as big as our two hen's eggs! The other two: a production red and SLW have still yet to do anything. Can't really tell if they are squatting or not as they are both pretty skittish and stay back from people unless there are treats.

Hope you all are getting eggs soon too!

 

[Buttercup1979]

I've been waiting for a long time too! I have one girl laying. My four girls are two australorps and two BO's. The BO's are two days older than the Australorps. ONE australorp started laying at 19 weeks. That was almost six weeks ago. The other australorp started squatting about two weeks ago. Still nothing. How much will these girls lay before a molt comes on because it's starting to get cold here where we live?!

 

[srd5757]

I may be wrong but I don't think they usually molt the first year, I think they are usually a year to 18mo when they have their first molt.