Congrats on your first egg! There's several things that go on to indicate an egg is coming soon. First they pick up the red facial coloring, and start squatting (either for you or the rooster or sometimes the dominant hen). It can still be a couple of weeks from that point. Or soon after. The last thing, right before laying, is their fluffy butts will "drop" and look even puffier. Since you've gotten one egg, wait on a couple more, then start looking at the fluffy butts. Those that are fuller than the others are the ones laying or about to start. It might not be obvious, on my littlest hen she only got a small amount of increased fluff. But those eggs take up room, and cause that subtle change.
They'll also start checking out nest boxes, and other areas, they'll set down and "talk" while making a nest, change location, talk some more, change location... almost like they don't know what to do with themselves. When they're walking around the coop, it will be a loud bawk-bawk. They may or may not sing an egg song before or after. Sometimes another hen will sing it for the other. Sometimes they don't know what they're talking about and you run out there for nothing. Haha.
True "point of lay" pullets are 5-7 months old depending on breed. I saw someone selling 3 month old pullets as "point of lay" and I was thinking... I hope the buyers know they're in for a long wait! Could be 2-3 more months!
It's a long wait. I hatched eggs last fall to have Spring eggs instead of Fall eggs, and that was in October/November, and I just last week had all 3 that I kept start laying. So that was 6-7 months of waiting. One was a month older than the other 2 but the last to start laying.
They'll also start checking out nest boxes, and other areas, they'll set down and "talk" while making a nest, change location, talk some more, change location... almost like they don't know what to do with themselves. When they're walking around the coop, it will be a loud bawk-bawk. They may or may not sing an egg song before or after. Sometimes another hen will sing it for the other. Sometimes they don't know what they're talking about and you run out there for nothing. Haha.
True "point of lay" pullets are 5-7 months old depending on breed. I saw someone selling 3 month old pullets as "point of lay" and I was thinking... I hope the buyers know they're in for a long wait! Could be 2-3 more months!
It's a long wait. I hatched eggs last fall to have Spring eggs instead of Fall eggs, and that was in October/November, and I just last week had all 3 that I kept start laying. So that was 6-7 months of waiting. One was a month older than the other 2 but the last to start laying.
