Ok am I getting impatient,,,

[JamesA]

I have 3 brown leggerns, 4 Americana's and three RIR pullets 17 weeks old and I am going crazy waiting on them to lay.The RIR are getting darker red around the face but I still do not have any eggs?

 

[bluey]

about 20+ weeks is the norm and this can change based on a number of different variables such as nutrition, environment, etc...

be patient... and

 

[jenjscott]

they're only 4 mos old, some don't lay till 5 or 6 months. Although I'm not sure about the Ameraucanas, but I too would think the leghorns and RIRs would be earlier.

 

[vwoods]

If it makes you feel any better we don't have eggs yet either with our 17 wk old australorps. good thing too because we are just finishing our nesting boxes today. I have been reading of people getting first eggs at 15 - 16 weeks even and I panicked! So nesting boxes being built today!I hope yours lay soon. You probably have your boxes built and ready!

 

[arlee453]

First eggs sooner than 19 weeks is quite unusual. 20 weeks and beyond is more typical. My first group all started like someone turned on a switch at 23 weeks.

Give them a few more weeks!

 

[vwoods]

Whew! Good to see the "20 week "post. I think that's about when our wyandottes started. I can slow down on the nesting boxes although we have most of it done. BTW, is it ok to use grass clippings in the nesting boxes as opposed to straw or hay?

 

[bluey]

People use all sorts of things. I use hay. I wouldn't use grass clipping because I would think that they'd be more prone to moisture and rotting. But if you changed it frequently, i don't think it would matter....

 

[arlee453]

I'd worry about grass clippings getting moldy - you'd have to change them VERY frequently.

I use pine shavings - $5 or less for a huge bag at TSC that would last a year or more if I was just using it in the nest boxes.

 

[emandmikey]

I have a freind who has nearly 6 month Ameraucanas and they're not laying yet either. I think they're expecting some VERY soon though! I bet it's hard to wait - I am having a hard time waiting to GET some chickens, let alone their eggs!!!

 

[vwoods]

Okay thanks for that advice. I'll use shavings which is what I have on the floor of the coop.