Questions from a New Chick owner

[Ankarankar]

These are my 4 chickens that were bought at Tractor Supply in early May I am told that they are all females. Here are my questions:
1. Are they Barnvelders as the store told us or are they Wyanndots or a mixture of something?
2. When do they lay eggs? We are in September all ready.
3. I have an Omlet coop where there is a door to the neating area. Should I keep the door open from where they sleep and where they nest to encourage egg laying?

Thank you so very much for any responses. I really would like to know when they lay eggs and it IS 4 months all ready.

 

[SilverBirds]

They all look like beautiful Wyandotte's. I'm seeing three Golds and a Blue. Wyandottes usually start to lay at 6-8 months but with the approaching cold months, you may not get many eggs this year.

I'd keep the coop/nesting door open all day so they can go in and out as they please. It

 

[Folly's place]

They are Wyandottes for sure. Blue laced red and gold laced black. Beautiful!
How about some pictures of your coop and run?
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

4 months is still quite early for laying, and Wyandottes are not known to be the best layers. It's possible laying onset will be delayed by an additional few weeks or even months due to the shortening of days in fall.

Layers should always have access to nests during waking hours.

 

[Ankarankar]

Thank you so much for your responses! I am so glad they look healthy. 1. I clean the cage every 3-4 days and scrub it down once a month. Hopefully this is enough? I read all about Barnvelders so now I need to do my reading on Wyandottes. 2, So the egg side of the coop should be open in the day as well? In the picture you might not be able to see it but there is a door between the nesting area and the sleeping area. When am I supposed to keep this closed?
3. Anything I should know about winter for my girls?
Again thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!

 

[augustALIEN]

I also have an Omlet Eglu Cube Coop and Run. Just got it out together over the weekend for my 4 Dominique Pullets. They are 4-5wks old and doing great so far in the coop!

 

[RubelliteRose]

there is a door between the nesting area and the sleeping area. When am I supposed to keep this closed?

Occasionally, one of my hens will lay an egg right at sunrise, so I allow access at all times. The only time I block off the nest boxes is at night and only if someone has decided to sleep in one(and then I check them for any health issues). If no health problems, I block access for a few nights- until they start sleeping on the roost again.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1. Are they Barnvelders as the store told us or are they Wyanndots or a mixture of something?

Already answered. And yes, they are all girls.

2. When do they lay eggs? We are in September all ready.

You are in North Carolina, thanks for providing that information. That means you are in a similar latitude I was in when I was in Arkansas so my experiences there are relevant.

While breeds may have general tendencies I find there can be a big difference in individuals. They don't all start to lay at the same time. One may be months ahead of another, even if they are raised together and from the same flock. If you have enough for averages to mean much (you don't) you can tell on average when about half will be laying but which do you have? Early layers or late?

Also, I find that which flock they came from can make a big difference on that average. Your chicks from Tractor Supply came from a hatchery. TSC typically uses three different hatcheries so they could have come from any of those. Each hatchery has different people that select which chickens get to breed. If one of those uses early egg laying as part of their selection criteria that flock, in average, will start laying earlier than others that do not use that criteria.

This is where the Arkansas/NC latitude comes in. The days getting shorter or longer has an influence on egg laying. If the days are getting shorter they are less likely to start laying. Some wait until the days start getting longer in the spring to start. But some does not mean all. I've had pullets lay their first egg on early December when the days are practically at their shortest but stil getting shorter.

I've never had Wyandottes but have had similar breeds. I've had pullets lay their first egg at about 16 weeks. Not many, that's rare, but a few. I've had pullets not lay their first egg for 9 months. Most seem to start between 20 and 25 weeks but that's an average.

The bottom line is that no one can really tell you when yours will actually start laying. It can be frustrating, imagine waiting 9 months for a small group of pullets to lay their first egg. With your four I would not be surprised at all for you to see at least one egg and hopefully more in the next month or two but it is possible you will have to wait until spring. I can not say for sure when you will see an egg.

3. I have an Omlet coop where there is a door to the neating area. Should I keep the door open from where they sleep and where they nest to encourage egg laying?

I don't remember what an omlet coop looks like and I'm too lazy this morning to look it up. Leaving that door open will not encourage egg laying, it doesn't work like that. But I would leave it open. Before they start to lay many of them (not all but many) look for a good place to lay their first egg. I want my nests to be considered.

One concern in having it open is that they might sleep in the nest. If they are going to sleep in the nests I want to know that so I can fix it before they start to lay. To me it is easier to work on that before they start to lay. If you have to leave the nests open so they can lay their eggs it gets more complicated fixing it.

 

[Ankarankar]

Thanks! I will

Occasionally, one of my hens will lay an egg right at sunrise, so I allow access at all times. The only time I block off the nest boxes is at night and only if someone has decided to sleep in one(and then I check them for any health issues). If no health problems, I block access for a few nights- until they start sleeping on the roost again.

keep it closed at night

 

[Ankarankar]

Already answered. And yes, they are all girls.


You are in North Carolina, thanks for providing that information. That means you are in a similar latitude I was in when I was in Arkansas so my experiences there are relevant.

While breeds may have general tendencies I find there can be a big difference in individuals. They don't all start to lay at the same time. One may be months ahead of another, even if they are raised together and from the same flock. If you have enough for averages to mean much (you don't) you can tell on average when about half will be laying but which do you have? Early layers or late?

Also, I find that which flock they came from can make a big difference on that average. Your chicks from Tractor Supply came from a hatchery. TSC typically uses three different hatcheries so they could have come from any of those. Each hatchery has different people that select which chickens get to breed. If one of those uses early egg laying as part of their selection criteria that flock, in average, will start laying earlier than others that do not use that criteria.

This is where the Arkansas/NC latitude comes in. The days getting shorter or longer has an influence on egg laying. If the days are getting shorter they are less likely to start laying. Some wait until the days start getting longer in the spring to start. But some does not mean all. I've had pullets lay their first egg on early December when the days are practically at their shortest but stil getting shorter.

I've never had Wyandottes but have had similar breeds. I've had pullets lay their first egg at about 16 weeks. Not many, that's rare, but a few. I've had pullets not lay their first egg for 9 months. Most seem to start between 20 and 25 weeks but that's an average.

The bottom line is that no one can really tell you when yours will actually start laying. It can be frustrating, imagine waiting 9 months for a small group of pullets to lay their first egg. With your four I would not be surprised at all for you to see at least one egg and hopefully more in the next month or two but it is possible you will have to wait until spring. I can not say for sure when you will see an egg.


I don't remember what an omlet coop looks like and I'm too lazy this morning to look it up. Leaving that door open will not encourage egg laying, it doesn't work like that. But I would leave it open. Before they start to lay many of them (not all but many) look for a good place to lay their first egg. I want my nests to be considered.

One concern in having it open is that they might sleep in the nest. If they are going to sleep in the nests I want to know that so I can fix it before they start to lay. To me it is easier to work on that before they start to lay. If you have to leave the nests open so they can lay their eggs it gets more complicated fixing it.

I came from Northern Arkansas and you are correct the weather is very similar except we have more rain! I appreciate so much the time you took to answer my questions. I thought I had posted a picture of the Omlet but I will try again