Waiting & waiting for our first egg but have a question

[Lovesilkty21]

Hey all I have a question I was hoping that someone might be able to answer for me.
I have 5 lovely ladies who are 16 weeks old today
2 buff orp
2 barred Rocks
1 black sex link
And 2 that are young yet americana’s or 3 week or 4

But last night I went out and I decided to be weird and I felt there tummy bum area to see if I could feel if any had egg like lumps and 2 seemed to and I’m not sure if that is normal or if you can even tell that way or must I have felt something wrong, or would that mean they might lay soon.
The 2 that had what felt like an egg are my larger ladies one in a barred rock(cookie) and one is a buff (pumpkin)
Or when do they breed start laying normally.
I went out earlier and nothing yet I’m so so excited to find our first egg but not sure what to expect or even when to expect it.

 

[Lovesilkty21]

Really no-one knows?

 

[cook_kaka_ook]

My pullets are as old as yours (hatched last Aug.15). I was told to patiently wait for another 6-5 weeks for the first egg. I wish us Good luck!

 

[rirluvr]

at least you did not go to the extreme. I've heard of people checking with their lubricated "pinky." I read somewhere if you want early layers then get production layers anything else will take form 6-8 months to start laying. It is the white leghords and the redstar chickens that lay at about 4.5 months.

 

[mandelyn]

What you'll notice in the rear area priot to laying:

The whole feathery butt (under the tail, those nice fluffy feathers that go all the way to the back of the legs) will lower and puff out. It's noticable if you look at your birds often, also noticable on birds of the same breed who have or have not "lowered". The "egg carrying" area just fills out.

The combs go red. Not pink, RED.

They may or may not talk a lot. Mine sounded like crazy old women talking to themselves while pacing the coop the day before and the day of laying that first egg. They still haven't done the egg song, Rooster does that. But they sure "Baaaaawk" a lot before laying.

When you feel the butt area, there's two bones that protrude out, just under the tail and above the vent. On a layer, there's a space between them about 2-3 fingers wide. On one that hasn't started laying, those bones are close together. Get to know those bones and how they feel on each bird, so you can see who's REALLY getting ready to lay.

I have a "Baby".... who started to lay before she lost her "peep". 4 1/2 months old... insane because she's a Bantam, D'AnverxOE Game. I spent the better half of the morning trying to figure out who laid that egg, thinking it couldn't have been her. I checked Prissy, bones too close, comb too pink. I already had Chipmunk's egg in my pocket. The two games would lay something bigger than the egg I found. So I checked over "Baby"... and yep, every sign showed she was the one who laid that egg. Sooner than the 5 month old Games, sooner than the 6 month old OE hen. So you never know, unless you sit out there and have coffee with the chickens as often as I do.

 

[cybercat]

20 weeks is the early lay time most will lay before 30 weeks.

 

[joedie]

My BR's started at 16 wks and the RIR's and BA's at 17 wks.

 

[superjules75]

My 31 weeks old EE laid every other day for 2 and a half weeks and now hasn't laid one in weeks. My 31 weeks old BO hasn't even laid at all.

 

[socalchicks]

My girls will be 20 weeks this weekend. My EE and 2 RIRs have bright red combs and the feathery butts. The RIRs have big red wattles. I also have 2 silkies, but I'm not sure how to tell if they are ready to lay. They have all gotten more vocal in the last couple of weeks, but I haven't heard what I think is an "egg song".

No eggs yet, I am not so patiently waiting!

 

[Lovesilkty21]

Thanks for all the help, I'll keep looking in to see but it sound like it might be a bit.
Thank you thank you