What is a pullets behavior like before laying first egg?

[crunchynut]

I haven't gotten an egg from my girls yet, they are just 21 weeks right now so hopefully anytime now.

I have a Faverolle pullet who didn't leave the coop this morning when I let the others out. She just hung around for a while and now she's sitting/resting in the back in a pile of shavings. I'm thinking either she doesn't want to go outside today (its chilly here this morning), she wants to keep an eye on the new chicks (there are 5, 5 week old chicks in a separate cage within the coop), or she's getting ready to lay an egg! I haven't heard any strange noises from her and I don't know what an egg song sounds like - she's just sitting there peacefully.

Maybe it is almost egg time?

 

[WriterChick]

When my girls started to lay, they were very talkative. I didn't know it was "egg-talk" because they are a pretty talkative bunch. Now (three weeks into the venture), usually one will hang out in a box quietly before laying an egg.

 

[crazyhen]

Sometimes you will get an egg song early on then you may notice they squat when you touch their backs and also the talk talk thing too. Their combs will redden up also. Usually after starting to squat you will have eggs in about two weeks. Gloria Jean

 

[crunchynut]

I think she'll be my first egg layer someday soon. I went out there again and she was still sitting there (so several hours now). I put a nesting box near her and she thoroughly checked it out but didn't go in yet.

 

[chefchick]

All six of my big girls are laying now (They are 21 weeks). Some are very talkative, and some are like you mentioned... very quiet about it. when I went in the coop yesterday to feed/water, one of my RIR girls was in a nest box...just sitting. I went about my business, and apparently she did the same. when I got done, I noticed she was gone and there was a nice warm egg, but she didn't make a peep. I have a GSL that sings the egg song 24/7 now. she is noisier than my roos!

 

[DebbieDee]

Put a fake egg or a golf ball in the nesting box. ..

 

[lollimama]

I've got one who has been laying for a while now (she's about 2 years old) and she doesn't make a sound when she lays, however if someone else lays she wakes the whole neighborhood up with her ruckus! I thought it was a goose passing by the first time I heard her. Then just a little while ago I was sitting inside and heard a new kind of ruckus, it turned out to be my 'about to lay' 21 week old marans...I think she's just warming up. We'll see!

 

[williamsl77]

Just curious... do they usually lay at night? My oldest one (24 or so weeks? NH Red) has been acting a little strange today. Rolling around a little more than usual in the dirt and making some interesting sounds I haven't heard her make before. Eating, drinking and being quite active, too, so I don't think she's sick. I'm guessing she's getting close to laying. Anyway... wondering if she'll lay an egg at night. Of course, I'm going out of town this weekend, so I hope she lays before I leave or after I get back!

 

[nurse_turtle]

My Sally was quiet and withdrawn the day before her first egg. She didn't turn flips for grapes like usual and I was so worried she was sick. The next day I was greeted with a perfect pink/beige egg and Sally was back to her 'ol self again. Of course she hasn't laid another since and that was a month ago. I think she's waiting til spring. I never heard an egg song from her. Her hatch mate Sally the Second has sung the egg song but never produced an egg. So, go figure.

 

[Pele]

Mine were anxious, paced a lot, checked out the boxes constantly, and were LOUD LOUD LOUD! I almost resorted to turning the waterhose on them, lol.

The good news is that this pretty much completely stops once they get into the egglaying routine. By the second week of laying, my girls were old pros and barely made a peep unless begging at my patio door for treats.