UPDATE - Oh No!!!! It's too soon!!! First egg!

[feathersnuggles]

Congrats! I had one pullet, in my flock, who laid at 19 weeks. The one problem that happened (and it's just a guess whether it's related to being an early layer or not) is that she went into an early molt after 7 weeks of laying, which stopped her laying for 2-1/2 months. She's back, though, and her eggs are HUGE and beautiful. The molt caught me off-guard, she was only 7 months old.

Most of my flock laid from 24 to 28 weeks old. The last one laid at 39 weeks old! There's always something to worry about.

 

[RM44]

Quote:
Exactly! I just don't seem to get enough worrying!

And yes, I probably am one of the first ever to be concerned about my first egg. And you know I've been looking, in anticipation! And once the blessed event happened, I had to worry about it! I think I need to take another poster's advice and stop worrying since I can't do anything about it anyway! LOL.

I just want my girls to be healthy and have a good long and uneventful laying cycle. My last flock (of only 6) had to be put down about a month after they started laying, and I had them on antibiotics for 2 weeks prior, so I only got about 7 eggs total out of the last flock. I'm scared to death of introducing diseases now, so my flock will be a closed flock. My original thought is to keep these ladies 2-3 years, without getting any new ones, and then give them away for "retirement" and start another flock. So I've got to hope that the ladies will be healthy, happy and productive for 3 years! Fingers crossed!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm betting it was the RIR.

 

[nanawendy]

I agree the RIR

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

mine started laying at 18 1/2 weeks, no problem. She laid an egg everyday from then on

 

[RM44]

Well she laid another egg today. We were in the coop messing around setting up the straw in the nest boxes (had to get some straw b/c I only had the pine shavings yesterday, and that doesn't work well in the nest boxes for me). She came in the coop while all other 10 were outside, and she was so antsy, jumping up on the roost, walking around talking to us. Poor thing had to go so bad that she laid it right on the floor of the coop as soon as we left, without even taking the time to carve out a little crater. I hope I can get her to start using the nestboxes.

Thanks again for all the encouragement. I'm starting to relax a little now!

 

[beachchickie]

All of my girls layed either 19 or 20 weeks. No issues for anyone yet. Actually I forgot I had one lay at 17wks. She is fine and lays golden eggs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Mess up her nest every time she doesn't lay in the nesting box. She'll get the hint.

My 2nd welsummer just started laying last week and her first 3 eggs were not in the nesting box. (1st 2 were outside the coop on the ground, then on the floor of the coop, then finally to the nesting box) She got the hint and started laying in the boxes.