The bad thing about this BYC section: An Observation

[woodmort]

People will post that "I got an egg from my 6-week old pullet!" (okay maybe not quite that young, but it will be a relative low number.) then some poor newbie BYCer who has 7 -week old chicks panics because his/her's aren't laying. At this point they are convinced they have a bunch of duds or that they are doing something wrong or feeding wrong or some such thing. At any rate they're having a panic attack of deep proportions and they want to know what they have to do to get their pullets laying.

Okay you first timers: That first egg is going to come when the individual bird is ready which will be a combination of facts, age being only one, with breed, temperature, season and just metabolism are some of the others. Pullets are like teenagers and they all mature at different rates so relax and enjoy them.

 

[Morgan7782]

PLUS you do NOT want them laying too early. That can cause a lot of health issues later on. Just my 0.02 cents

 

[kichohana]

Nicely put Woodmort. We all mature at our own speed... chickens too. My Speckled Sussex were almost a month behind my Wyandottes. I knew it would happen eventually...

 

[Happy Chooks]

It's so true. I'm still waiting on 26 week olds (granted they are a slow maturing breed).

 

[Beekissed]

I got an egg from 3 mo. old pullets yesterday....

Sorry..couldn't resist!

But...I did!

 

[bburn]

I am new and I want eggs.

But first I want my chickens to be healthy.
Second I want to know if they are boys or girls.
Third I really want Harry to be a girl...lol.
Fourth and I should have posted this one first....I want them to be safe and live a good life.
Then I want some eggs.
And mostly I want to know as much as I can about my chickens so I can have all the above.

There is always going to be some silly stuff. Always going to be some 'wrong' answer given in good faith. But the more I read the better I understand my feathered friends. And that I had way too many roosters.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Ha, got that beat! I got an egg from my 6 week old hen..........(Jumbo Brown Coturnix quail)

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Woodmort, how true! You made me laugh by pointing it out.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Hear, hear! Nice post. It amazes me how impatient some people get for their birds to start laying. I know it's exciting, but threatening to cull within x amount of weeks if they don't start by then? People need to just calm down, enjoy their birds, and know they'll start laying when it's the right time for them to do so.

 

[BunnyMomma]

I agree! It is like potty training children. Every chick is different, and it is best not to rush our fine feathered friends.
It is an exciting event, that first egg!

Bunny