Is there signs that a hen is ready to lay?

[ticks]

Like red comb or other stuff like that.

 

[Chirpy]

Oh boy... you better get those nest boxes made right away!! You do want your pullets to start, from day one, to lay in their appropriate nest boxes. It can be hard, sometimes, to reteach them to lay in a nest box. Yes, they will lay their eggs on the ground or wherever their little hearts desire. Sometimes, they even do that when they have wonderful nest boxes. People encourage their pullets to use the nest boxes by putting a golf ball or fake egg in the nest box. Once the girls start laying in the nest boxes, you can remove the golf ball or fake egg.

You should be getting an egg any day now from those sex-links.

 

[fcooper]

Hi!
It looks as though those photos have been taken down, but I was wondering exactly the same thing and was wondiering if you could (pleeeease

) put them up agaibn?
Thanks!

 

[obsessed2013]

My chickens are 21 weeks. Today I went out to their coop and notice my BR acting funny and in the corner. So, I picked her up and put her in the nesting box. My BSL started singing the egg song and in runs our rooster. He jumps in a nesting box and starts making all kinds of noises. The BSL climbs in with him. after a awhile he hops out and is still making laying noises. All the other hens are gathering around like he is teaching them what to do. Roo school! He is just awesome with his girls. Still no eggs

 

[PocketAcesMom]

We got our first egg today so I thought I'd share the lead up that indicated that she would start laying soon. I have seven Red Sex Linked chickens that are 15 weeks old. About 10 days ago, I noticed that a few of them seemed to be getting wider butts. It seemed like it happened really fast. They had been sleek little teenagers and suddenly they blossomed into chickens. About 5 days ago, we noticed that a few of them were squatting when we pet them. We had no idea what they were doing and at first thought they suddenly liked to be pet. I did some research on if there were any signs on if a chicken would lay soon and sure enough, I read about the pelvic bones getting wider and the squatting behaviors. We've been stalking the nests for days now. Today around 1:30, I went to check on my ladies. They usually come running when they see me because they they I have treats. One of them wasn't there and I noticed that she was in her nest. I peeked at her and she had thrown bits of bedding on her back. The other chickens would come in and check on her and walk back out. About 15 minutes later, I checked on her again and she was standing up looking like she was concentrating. At that point, I grabbed my cell phone and hit "record." Sure enough, a few seconds later, out came the egg. Right after that, she started to sing the "egg laying song" that I'd been hearing about.

Here's Camille laying her first egg.

Here's the "egg laying song"

 

[Justino]

lol why do hens squat for us anyways??? what do they think were gonna do to em???

 

[DLS]

Quote:
I grab the hen by the neck & shake. Then I pet her back kind of hard then i pull her tail up & shake it . I think it makes then happy. Because they all huddle around wanting there turn ---some 2 times---

thet they shake off the encounter off & go lay an egg .
Funny & fun animals to keep.

 

[vfem]

After trying to borrow a ping pong ball, golf ball ect... no one came through, SO I had boiled a store bought egg and plopped it under Muppet tonight while she was sleeping. It was a Large egg so I hope it doesn't throw her off?! Is that ok to do?

 

[ninabeast]

Right before my first hen laid (after a week or so of the red wattles and comb, and the squatting), she got very, very agitated. Crying, jumping up on my lap (a first!), and generally distressed. Because she was the first, she had no model, and likely had no idea what was happening. I comforted her the best I could, and she's now very calm and professional about the whole thing.

 

[nova022]

how can you tell when ready to have an egg

Three signs I have found to be pretty good predictors of impending eggs are squatting, singing the egg song and reddening of the waddles and comb.