TRYING TO BE PATIENT WHILE WAITING FOR EGGS

[Peppercorngal]

My pullets are now 19 weeks old. They are messing around in the nesting boxes, having sex with Black Bart the rooster and generally look pretty ready to lay. I can't wait! But I have to. Do you thing either of these girls look ready to lay to you?

 

[Folly's place]

Sure, they will start laying any time now. Or in another month. Or when the mood finally hits them. Are they confined in their coop and run, or are there secret nests of eggs out there? Your pullets don't have a clue, and it needs to be easy for them to pick the right (for you!) location for eggs.
Keep them in until later each afternoon, if possible, have comfortable nest boxes, and a couple of fake eggs (or golf balls) in the nests as inspiration.
Let us know when your first egg arrives!
Mary

 

[aart]

IMO....Messing up the nests is a sure sign laying is imminent.

There's always the Butt Check:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Peppercorngal]

Sure, they will start laying any time now. Or in another month. Or when the mood finally hits them. Are they confined in their coop and run, or are there secret nests of eggs out there? Your pullets don't have a clue, and it needs to be easy for them to pick the right (for you!) location for eggs.
Keep them in until later each afternoon, if possible, have comfortable nest boxes, and a couple of fake eggs (or golf balls) in the nests as inspiration.
Let us know when your first egg arrives!
Mary

Thanks for the encouragement. I currently have two "old" hens in that same coop that already lay. When they lay an egg the entire flock sings the "egg song", even Black Bart the rooster! I do wait until afternoon to let them free range as my other hens are morning layers. Their "free range" area is a field about 50' x 50'. It's been mowed, so there really is no other "secret" place to lay eggs but the coop or run. (And until yesterday I had a goat in that field as well) I search everyday everywhere, but so far nothin! I did put fake eggs in the boxes, but someone (the old girls?) keeps throwing them out onto the floor! I'll probably just remove them. Chickens are going to do what chickens do when they want to do it!

 

[Peppercorngal]

Ok, we have ignition! Mary has been playing in the nest boxes for a week. This morning I saw another chicken in the bottom nest box and I let her be. Later I heard someone singing the "egg song" and went to investigate. It was Mary! She was so proud of herself! She laid in the outside box of the middle row. I looked and saw an egg in the bottom box as well. In the photo you may see a white egg, well, that one is a fake egg! I'm so happy! In a few weeks I may be able to open my egg business again! Hooray!

The right egg in the bottom photo here is an Mary's first egg. The middle egg is my old hen Myrtle's egg and the left egg is an unnamed red star's egg . Happy, Happy!!!!

 

[aart]

Bingo!
Congrats!