Is this a sign she may lay soon?

[KandJsmama]

Congratulations! What a great Christmas present!

 

[Zoopathy]

Congratulations!! I got my first egg on Thanksgiving this year!! Congrats, too, on the green egg--the one EE I have that is laying decided her eggs would be a pale blonde color...bummer!

 

[write2caroline]

Merry Christmas! That was a nice gift!

I was going to tell you to try to be patient. My girls were really red for weeks before the two who layed eggs layed an egg and I have several that look ready lay but don't even look in the nest. I am with them when they free range so there are no opportunities for hiding nesting spots. My two who lay always run over to the coops to sit and lay. I still have not had any indictation the rest are near laying with the exception of the rooster frequently breeding with all but one but she is also the pullet with the least developed comb. One looks so red and full I thought for sure she would lay an egg.

I am remaining patient and keeping an ear open for egg song!

Congrats on your first Egg and on Christmas too! Very Happy for you!

Caroline
Jacksonville, FL

 

[rirluvr]

I was hoping my girls would also surprise me with a christmas omlet and I found nothing today.. though one of my girls is laying down on the nest as of late. She just goes in there and lays there while her sister stands next to the nest looking out for her I guess.

* Oh yeah... CONGRATS on the lay! heheh

 

[cook_kaka_ook]

Congratulations danab. Does anyone know if EE are late egg layers? On average Hens lay eggs at 21-weeks right? Does the cold weather and short daytime affect the hens egg production?

 

[Hozer]

Congratulations!!!!! Many more to come.

I have a few hens that lay on their roost ocasionally and they fall and break. Hopefully as they get older we will have less of these incidents. Kinda like my daughter having an "accident" whan she was little.

My hens started laying about a month ago. What I noticed first was they got very vocal. Kind of like, "Get out of my face, I'm having a bad day." type of thing. They were only about 5 months old and I didn't expect anything. Shortly after, a few started laying.

Then, last week my Ameraucanas started griping at me and I thought, " I've heard this before." I told my friend I think they are getting ready to lay. One laid a nice pale blue pullet egg a few days later. My wife loves the cute little pullet eggs.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Forget average, I been married for 34 yrs and hens is females you'll get your eggs when they's good and ready and not before.

 

[danab]

Quote:
I just noticed this behavior today. So far one of my EE and one of my Reds have squatted and froze as I came down towards them quickly from behind. I have not seen this behavior at all before. So I guess I need to be on the lookout for eggs everyday now. How exciting.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I just noticed this behavior today. So far one of my EE and one of my Reds have squatted and froze as I came down towards them quickly from behind. I have not seen this behavior at all before. So I guess I need to be on the lookout for eggs everyday now. How exciting.

It won't be long...

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
My EE laid her first egg at 28 weeks. I have a blue wyandotte that hasn't laid yet... let's see (getting out the calculator) she's now 35 weeks old, big and poofy with red comb & wattles! She's holding onto her eggs for ransom, I say.

I'm not sure there's an average, with the differences in breeds, etc. 21 weeks seems on the early side, though not abnormally early. I have 2 birds that laid at 24 weeks old.

To your question about cold weather/short daylight... yes, I've read here on BYC, that a chick who reaches point-of-lay in fall/winter, when days are dark, will often wait to begin laying until early spring.