What age did your hens lay their first egg?

[mamatink7]

We got our first egg from Golden comet at the day before 18 weeks. Just got 1st egg from our Golden Laced Wyandotte last week @ 36weeks!!
All first couple weeks of eggs weighed peewee to small size. We have 26 pullets. Majority of the girls are back to laying since winter, Dec was our horribly slow month and we went down to less than 10. Now we are up to about 15-19 a day--thankfully

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

YAY!!! I got my FIRST EGG from one of my hens!!! Sour laid it for me this afternoon and it's so cute. Hopefully some more of the girls will start following her since they are almost 24 weeks old now. Four of them have been ready for a while...I have been trying to be patient but I was so excited to see her head into one of the nesting boxes in the coop and then shortly after I heard her singing the egg song. Yay for fresh butt nuggets!

 

[emgrider]

Hi I have 3 Easter egger hens that are 5 months old. Should they start laying soon?

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

Hi I have 3 Easter egger hens that are 5 months old. Should they start laying soon?

I have 4 EEs also (two ended up being Roos) and I am eagerly awaiting when the girls start to lay because I'm so excited to see what color eggs I end up with but mine aren't showing any of the signs that my other four are showing. I got them all at the same time so they will all turn 24 weeks old this Sunday but my two Red Sex Links and my two Golden Laced Wyandottes have all been doing the "squat like it's hot", they've been fussing more both vocally and in the hay and nest boxes arranging things, and their combs and waddles have been really bright red. Everything I have read and heard about EEs leads me to believe that your and my girls aren't going to lay yet but you never know! Do your girls show any of the signs that my other ones have? With EE's (depending on where you got them from) it's hard to know what breed they are mixed with so I think that's why it's more of a guessing game with them. But I like surprises!!! =)

 

[dekel18042]

Hi I have 3 Easter egger hens that are 5 months old. Should they start laying soon?

Have their combs turned from paler to more reddish? Do they squat for you? Are they checking out the nest boxes? All these are indicative of being close to POL. My EE's have all started laying between five and six months of age,

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

I NEED HELP PLEASE!!!

I have 6 hens born at the same time and all laying age (they will be 24 weeks old on Sunday Feb 12th, 2017). 2 EE's that I don't think are ready to lay yet, 2 GLWs, and 2 Red Sex Links.

Four of them have been showing me signs that they are getting ready to drop their first eggs: Crimson Red Combs and Waddles, Doing the "Drop it like it's hot SQUAT", talking more, checking out the nest boxes, and rearranging the straw and what not. Yesterday "Sour" which is one of my Red Sex Links went into a nest box and laid an egg. Today a few of them have been in and out of the nest box and have been pushing out the fake eggs I have in there. Should I keep putting the fake eggs back in the nesting boxes? I have 8 nesting boxes and one fake in each.

*****Most importantly, Nugget who is one of my GLWs has a super bright red comb and waddles but then they fade and get REALLY pale all of a sudden and she starts to open her beak kind of like she's panting or straining but in less than a minute or so they go back to normal. Sometimes she's laying down when this happens and sometimes she's kind of squatting. She's not having a problem eating or drinking but I haven't seen her poop yet. My other GLW, Chubbers isn't doing this...her comb and waddles have been bright red all day. I doubt it's from the heat and I'm not sure if it matters but I live in Florida in the Tampa area and it isn't hot today, it's warm breezy nice weather. I would think if it was heat related all the girls would be doing it, right?

MY MAIN QUESTIONS ARE: Is this normal behavior prior to laying a first egg? Should I just leave her alone and see if she pops out a butt nugget or should I suspect that she might be egg bound and try to help her? I don't want to mess with her if it seems normal enough since I know taking her out would also affect the other 5 girls but I don't want anything bad to happen to my little Nugget. I have been out here watching them for a few hours already (I'm on chicken time) so should I just keep watching her to see if I can see her poo? Also should I be replacing the fake eggs in the nesting boxes or taking them out once a hen kicks it out?

Thank you guys so much for anyone that answers and can give me any insight as to what is happening with my girl.

 

[emgrider]

@dekel18042 They are SUPER red and the girlies have filled out into their "hen" shape too

 

[emgrider]

@FuzzFaceFarm My girls are squatting, have really red combs, and are starting to look at the nest boxes! My money says it's anytime but I have something funny! I "accidentally" created an Easter egger with a hatch earlier this summer and she just started laying green eggs! It's crazy

 

[dekel18042]

@FuzzFaceFarm My girls are squatting, have really red combs, and are starting to look at the nest boxes! My money says it's anytime but I have something funny! I "accidentally" created an Easter egger with a hatch earlier this summer and she just started laying green eggs! It's crazy

What is the background of your "accidental" EE? I created an "accidental" olive egger. I bred some on purpose than had a hen go broody and hatch some eggs. From that breeding I would have expected a lighter minty green but when the pullet from that clutch laid, her eggs have been just as olive as the olive eggers I created on purpose.

 

[emgrider]

@dekel18042 Blackbird's mom was a Jersey Giant while I thought her daddy was a silver laced wyandotte. My only guess is that my lovely lavender Ameraucana roo matured super early. I was so excited to see her big brown eggs like her mom laid but lo and behold, it's a pretty mossy green! I'm not complaining. She's my first green egg layer