It feels like FOREVER!!! UPDATE!!!! MAJOR UPDATE!!!!!!!

[HHandbasket]

I put the decoy eggs in the boxes yesterday & found Martha, the narcoleptic wellie, sitting on it, but that's the box she sits in all the time anyway (they have all been sitting in the nesting boxes for a couple of weeks now, even though only 2 are even CLOSE to laying age, and even those 2 are still a couple of weeks--or more--away from their first egg). I just want to make sure they know where I want them to lay the eggs so I can find them, darnit! LOL!

 

[SmittenChicken]

Ooh, I'm so there with all of you! Raising chickens for the first time and eagerly awaiting the first egg.
Most of my girls hit 15 weeks on Friday, my EEs are 14 and I think one of my White Rocks may be 16 weeks. My RSLs, BSLs and bigger White Rock are all getting really red in the face/combs/wattle, especially the Rock.
I got the nesting boxes all ready for them yesterday, and I swear I heard my White Rock and a Speckled Sussex practicing the egg song. They've been doing a lot more bok-bokking and squawking lately too. Haven't seen any squats yet, though.
I put some golf balls in the nesting boxes earlier and Tandoori, one of my RSLs, spent quite a while peering at them. Hopefully that will inspire them to make me breakfast soon!

Happy waiting to you all - it feels like Christmas is coming, doesn't it?!

 

[wannabe_goatmom]

The waiting takes FOREVER! I had 6 girls in my first batch who were born on July 27 last year. Like an earlier poster I was hoping for a Christmas egg. NOPE. My BA Stella was the first to lay on Jan 6 at 23 weeks and 2 days old. My RSL did not lay for another week after that, but now she is my best layer and since January she has only missed one day of laying. I think that was due to the fact that she layed a double yolker the day before. Now I am playing the waiting game again, my new batch are 13 weeks old today so I have a long time to wait.

Also instead of spending money on wooden or plastic eggs I just used some old golf balls and it worked like a charm. All 6 of my girls lay in the nest boxes just like they are supposed to.

 

[itsachicken]

I'm right there with you! My girls are 18 wks now but I don't really think anybody is all that motivated to end the suspense. The Buff Orpington and Black Australorp are developing wattles but they're more pink than red. The two sexlinks (a cinnamon queen and a black sexlink) don't have wattles, at all and the black doesn't even have a hint of pink in her comb. Maybe I'm making them nervous by staring at them all the time.

 

[elizabethlongwood]

I have 3 14 week old pullets, and then 2 a little younger...our first chickens ever, so yes I understand where you are coming from! Especially because they don't seem to be growing as fast now and look just like full grown chickens. Our family is betting on which one will lay first. I say our golden laced wyandotte because her comb and wattles are so red. My husband thinks our Buff Orpington because she has such a wide bottom. We'll see. Hope the eggs don't come too soon though because we haven't made our egg nest boxes yet...oops. Another thing, I hope this "egg song" everyone talks about isn't so loud that all the neighbors hear it because we haven't exactly told anyone about our chickens and we're not sure they'd be welcome in our neighborhood

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I thought I'd NEVER get eggs!!! Then it FINALLY happened a few days ago at 19.5 weeks old.

They are small and far and few between but at least they are laying!

 

[schellie69]

I was that way last year since I did not know the exact age of my girls. I was so happy when I found that first egg. I got 4 new babies this spring I figured they would lay around the end of July 1st part of August boy was I surprised a few days ago when I went out and found a small egg I have at least 2 of the 4 babies laying now. I know because they are a completely different color then any of the others I am just so happy. I can't wait for the other 2 to start. I know one for sure that is laying the 2nd one is still a mystery to who it is.

 

[newTexan2chickens]

I keep looking at combs and waiting impatiently..... I even told the border collie guard dog to have a chat with them!

 

[EggsForIHOP]

My smart @$$ husband had a present for me when i got up yesterday afternoon - some little logs and a knife! We don't have any fake eggs yet - he told me I "better get to whittling some eggs so the chickens know what to do since he built the coop"....then walked away! MEAN! Everyone knows if he really loved me he would have whittled some fake eggs himself while I was asleep! And no...no surprises this morning...

 

[tri-5-ron]

You all should try hitting yourselfs on the thumb with a hammer.
That's what I did yesterday,
and about 30 minutes later, Helga laid her first egg.

I sure hope I don't have to do that everyday to get my breakfast,
'cuz it STILL hurts really bad !!!