Marans getting ready to lay?

[Nikole]

Cuckoo Marans and a Splash Marans all about 19 weeks. Cuckoos have been red for several weeks and have grown waddles. (Splash has very little waddle and pink skin) One now does the squat. And I added some straw in the nest area and the one who squats went in and moved it around and made a crater in there. Eggs soon?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

On average most marans start laying at 5-8 months of age. Generally pullets will look to be close to laying for about 4-8 weeks before they do, which is long enough to frustrate you and make you wonder if it will ever happen.

Keep them on a non medicated grower. Many people switch them to a layer thinking it will help, but all in does is slows things down because of the lower protein content.

 

[Nikole]

Thank you. I wasn't planning on switching yet because we have a chick several weeks younger. I did buy the oyster shell and put it in the run for them though.

 

[Nikole]

She laid her first egg! Was no good though. Soft and fell apart.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That does happen. The stress of it causes it. I'm sure those first few eggs aren't pleasant to lay.

 

[Nikole]

We got another egg a couple days later (yesterday). So tiny and cute. Thought she was laying one today since we caught her in the box but came back hours later and nothing.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It can take some time for the system to regulate and for laying to become easier on them.