To all of you who have early layers

[Rocky Top Chick]

Happy chickens make good layers. Mine must be happy! My leghorns were first.

 

[Tonya]

My leghorns were first too I have 17 hens and 2 are laying and its the leghorns. I figured the RIR would first but nope not yet. She keeps looking in the nest boxes like she wants to but not yet. I was very antsy also and it finally happened last week wow what fun. Mine are 17 weeks.

 

[ChooksChick]

My BR started last year around 17-19 weeks, and my banty Cochin from this year just started, around 19 weeks. I have a buttercup that has had a giant comb and been singing for some time, but she's still yet to lay...her vent looks like she's gearing up and she was checking out the egg boxes yesterday- screamed at me like a Sleestack when I looked in on her. Her sister is still not showing any signs of maturing at all!

I have 4 EE pullets 16-19 weeks in range, and one is starting to redden up, but the others couldn't care less.

I'm not sure what to think about the Polish...she's just bopping around the yard like a honking clown...too funny. Can't see where she is in maturity.

I'm going to be less antsy, though, because I read too much about early laying...scared me!

Oh- I should say, some sweet gentleman PMd me me when I got nutty about this back then: he said when the pullets are isnging songs about phantom eggs and copping a squat, but aren't yet laying, a boost of protein can get them over the hump- he suggested fish pellets, because my signature used to detail my zoo. I did give them some tuna steak leftovers and some salmon that was freezer burnt. I made a nice casserole with them and brown rice in my cast iron dutch oven. They loved it!! More recently I made them a tofu casserole with some tofu I missed the use by date on- they thought that was awesome, too. I did get eggs soon after, so he may have been right.