Our pullet started laying, then stopped!

[briannanoelle1]

We have 6 pullets, 5 (3 Ameraucana's 2 White Leghorns) of them are 19 weeks old the other is 11 weeks (RIR)

One of the Ameraucana's laid her 1st egg on Sunday 6/12, she laid every day for 3 days, and hasn't laid the past 4 days.

I heard once they start laying that they should lay just about every day to every other day. I started feeding them oyster shells. What else should I do?!

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

That's normal. Pullets are not reliable egg layers for a while and you might find weird eggs too - odd shells, no shell, double yolk, no yolk - but after a while they get it figured out. Don't worry - as long as she is acting normal everything should be fine.

 

[briannanoelle1]

That's normal. Pullets are not reliable egg layers for a while and you might find weird eggs too - odd shells, no shell, double yolk, no yolk - but after a while they get it figured out. Don't worry - as long as she is acting normal everything should be fine.

Thanks for the advice. This is our first time with chickens so we didn't really know what to expect. My manager at work has 11 and when I told him ours laid their first egg he was like oh you'll start getting them every day -_- nope, only 3 so far and I think it's from the same girl. But I knew it couldn't be that easy! Lol I guess we've been lucky so far because all 3 have been "regular" eggs, small, but regular.

 

[DanEP]

19 weeks is early for them to start anyway so just be patient. In another four weeks they may be all laying and laying can be a little erratic at first but will work itself out.

 

[briannanoelle1]

19 weeks is early for them to start anyway so just be patient. In another four weeks they may be all laying and laying can be a little erratic at first but will work itself out.

I guess they heard me talking about them. They were free ranging in the back yard earlier and I couldn't find one of them, I found her in the coop laying down, I went in the house and came back out and there were 2 eggs. Yippee! :yiipchick

Now my only question is, were they both from her??? Or do you think one of the others laid in the same spot and she went in right after??? They were both perfect little blue eggs.

 

[AuntNomi]

I guess they heard me talking about them. They were free ranging in the back yard earlier and I couldn't find one of them, I found her in the coop laying down, I went in the house and came back out and there were 2 eggs. Yippee!

Now my only question is, were they both from her??? Or do you think one of the others laid in the same spot and she went in right after??? They were both perfect little blue eggs.

Congrats on the eggs! Hens usually only lay an egg a day. Now there are times that a hen may lay and then later that day lay again for some strange reason, but that is not the normal occurance. It usually takes around 25-26 hours to form the next egg if I remember correctly.

 

[Pork Pie]

Congrats on the eggs! Hens usually only lay an egg a day. Now there are times that a hen may lay and then later that day lay again for some strange reason, but that is not the normal occurance. It usually takes around 25-26 hours to form the next egg if I remember correctly.

I agree. From my experience, new layers can lay two eggs in one day, but the second is typically a soft-shelled one. It seems that you have two laying - great news!

 

[donrae]

Since your birds are at point of lay, you might want to confine them to the coop for a few weeks until everyone is laying. Chances are good at least one of your birds will start laying out and about.

 

[CainCoop]

I'm having a similar issue with one of my hens. She started laying at 19 weeks and was very regular (every day or every other day) for a month. This week I cannot find any eggs. They generally free-range, but had been 'cooped' up Saturday-Sunday and still didn't find an egg.

Is it normal for hens to lay so regularly and then stop suddenly, or is she just really good at hiding her eggs?

TIA!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Many hens lay in spurts. Stopping and starting throughout the season. Only certain breeds lay daily or even every other day on a regular schedule. Most dual purpose breeds will stop and start, taking days or weeks off before beginning again. Each hen is different.