New Hampshire Hen laying age?

[NewHamp99]

I bought 5 lovely New Hampshire Hens about a week ago and I'm letting them free range around my backyard. They have plenty of space, food and water and I'm wondering how old they are when they begin to lay. Also are there any signs to say that they are close to laying either? Thank-You!

- NewHamp99

 

[machina]

I don't have any pure New Hampshires but a couple of crosses with Australorps. They started around 20 weeks or so like a lot of hens.

They'll start to squat down when you approach them once they are around laying age, rather than running from you like younger pullets tend to do.

Being able to see a nest box with a decoy in it will often stimulate hens that are ready to lay to actually do it. A decoy can be an actual egg or something like a golf ball that looks like one. They can hardly tell the difference. Lengthening days in spring will make it more likely for them to start laying and shortening days in autumn will tend to drag it out a bit. Once one hen starts laying the others will often get triggered into starting soon after as well.