So I got my first egg yesterday but I have a question?

[juliadeer]

I was thrilled over here yesterday to discover my first egg from my two 20 week old speckled Sussex hens (well I at least know one is a hen for sure now) but my question is how long does it take them to get into a laying pattern? The egg was small but perfect grade a in every way I just want to know when to expect more? And how long before they are normal sized?

 

[emrys]

My SS were laying a two or three day on one day off cycle during the first weeks. After about two months they were in a cycle of 18-25 days on then a skip. When hot weather hit one hen went to every other day and the second hen does about 5 days then a skip. The black sex link on the other hand lays 23ish days then a skip hot or not.

 

[juliadeer]

I only got one egg so one is not laying yet and so far nothing today? Is there a common time of day for laying?

 

[emrys]

I've noticed that each day the black sex link lays a little later and a little later until one day she's laying around 5 o'clock. The next day will be a skip and the day after she's on the nest a daybreak. I think I've read that it takes an egg something like 26 hours to "process" hence the ever later laying time. New layers often take a while to get their rhythm going. Mark a calender every day so you can see (and remember) who did what, when.