the [egg] wait is driving me crazy!!!

[bobbieschicks]

My Snow White is a White Leghorn - she started laying just before her 19th week birthday. Don't know about the sex linked ones - but I did read that sex links can start as early as 15 weeks. So maybe soon?

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

If been waiting 7 mos

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

What's the squat test?

 

[kari_dawn]

while you are feeding or giving treats, or doing whatever, hold out your hand over her back. You don't have to touch her, just hover your hand a few inches over her. Does she run screaming, or hunker down and tremble? If she hunkers down and trembles, she is close to egg laying. I have heard that some hens don't do this, and some people have suggested that more submissive hens do this more often, and more dominant ones do this less frequently.

My first indication was actually when I walked directly up to one of my girls at a decisive speed and she squatted. I am waiting for my new girls to start the egg squat

They still run screaming as if someone told them they were to be chicken dinner

 

[binders]

Quote:
I share your pain! My White Leghorn is 28 weeks old andher comb is small and still pink. In the last month it has grown some and gotten dark but not by much. Now my Cochin and Black Australorp (who are a month younger) are both squatting for me (as of Saturday!). Still no eggs but it is a start. I had thought that the Cochin and Australorps were late layers but they are the most advanced for now. Who knows when I will see my first egg. I am now on the lookout for a family member to go and stick a store bought egg in the nest to mess with me.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Quote:
I share your pain! My White Leghorn is 28 weeks old andher comb is small and still pink. In the last month it has grown some and gotten dark but not by much. Now my Cochin and Black Australorp (who are a month younger) are both squatting for me (as of Saturday!). Still no eggs but it is a start. I had thought that the Cochin and Australorps were late layers but they are the most advanced for now. Who knows when I will see my first egg. I am now on the lookout for a family member to go and stick a store bought egg in the nest to mess with me.

My neighbor's son did that to me before my eldest hen was even close to laying!!! I got so excited! (I was a chicken newbie), and I bragged to everyone that she'd laid an egg....his father was like, "do you really think she's going to lay white eggs?"

I felt so dumb...that was the same day my other neighbor's dog killed my other only hen, though, so I think I was a little emotionally vulnerable...bad prank to play on such a sad day, but he didn't know that was going to happen when he did it....

 

[lorain's fids]

I have been waiting along with the rest of you for the arrival of our first egg....so now I think my wait will be a little longer.... I was looking at the calendar yesterday and I realized I missed counted the number of weeks for the girls ages, they are only 24 weeks this week instead of 25, they were hatched on June 29th .....so my waitng countinues.........

 

[cravenchx]

lorain's fids :

I have been waiting along with the rest of you for the arrival of our first egg....so now I think my wait will be a little longer.... I was looking at the calendar yesterday and I realized I missed counted the number of weeks for the girls ages, they are only 24 weeks this week instead of 25, they were hatched on June 29th .....so my waitng countinues.........

Mine were hatched on the 27th, they have been laying for 2 weeks.
Hang in there. The leghorns were the first to lay. Now the black sex links,
I don't think the RIR are laying yet, and I know the EE's aren't.​

 

[lorain's fids]

Quote:
Mine were hatched on the 27th, they have been laying for 2 weeks.
Hang in there. The leghorns were the first to lay. Now the black sex links,
I don't think the RIR are laying yet, and I know the EE's aren't.

Already laying for 2 weeks----wow!!! an yours are only 2 days older than mine. I have 4 Dominiques and 1 Black Australorp(from reading posts I know they can be early layers, but not my Shirley)

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have one layer right now, Snow White, white leghorn, she started laying at 2 days before turning 19 weeks old on Thanksgiving Day. She did great for a week then started softshelled eggs. Now she's back on track and we've gotten 3 eggs in a row that are hard shelled! YEAH! BTW - Snow White still will not do the squat test. So I'm not sure that's a real indicator of POL.

I am now waiting for my other 3 pullets to start laying - they may be awhile though because they are just 18 weeks old today. AC is Ancona and they are like WLs so maybe she'll start in a couple of weeks. Her comb is red and floppy - but the rooster is leaving her alone & she won't do the squat test! Then there's Smokey & Bandit - no idea what kind of chickens they are - one is rumpless and the other looks like her but has a tail - so who knows. I'm hoping they are olive eggers, but I only base that on the fact that the woman who sold them to me sells olive hatching eggs. So no idea when they will start laying. Could be two weeks, could be ten weeks. I do know that Smokey has not been mated by the rooster, but Bandit has been mated. They both have red combs and neither one will do the squat test with me.

My littlest ones are just 8 weeks old - got awhile to go for them