What is the oldest start to egg laying you have encountered?

[blumenmadchen]

Just curious really. I have three chickens, a BO who just started laying last week at 31 weeks and two EEs that are still not laying who are 31 weeks. We have been very excited to get all our eggs (about one a day!) from Peepers (the BO). But now I'm even more anxious for the others to lay. So it makes me wonder, how long have you waited for that day?

 

[junebuggena]

Pullets that mature in the fall can take a while to start laying. It's actually pretty common for pullets that mature at this time of year to not lay until well after 6 months of age. Even in the middle of summer, Easter Eggers can be a bit unpredictable. One of mine started laying regularly at 22 weeks, another didn't lay consistently until after she was about 8 months old.

 

[AshlyMommaWard]

Due to a horrible placement of coop (east facing dark shaded from morning light by woods) & wrong time of year to buy chicks for that setup (they matured right as daylight went way down) I've got 3 out of 4 32 weekers who just started this week, one has yet to.
Breeds laying at 32 weeks, easter eggers (2), and a ameber sexlink, breed yet to lay golden laced wyandotte.
Those are my only birds that have matured so late, and I count it up to a multitude of human error. The previous owners of our property couldn't have chosen a darker spot on the 4 acres to build a coop. Very silly.
Good luck with your girls! One of my newly laying EE has laid a beautiful light green egg every day for her first 5 days of laying! Hope yours does as well!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm currently having the longest wait ever. Eight pullets at 28.5 weeks and counting. Three of them are checking out the coop/nests every day for past three days so should be soon.

I'm glad I recounted out the weeks. Was thinking I was at 30.5 and getting depressed. Feeling better now.

 

[sumi]

I waited more than 8 months for the first egg once. That hen should be GLAD she was my favourite...

 

[MeepBeep]

Most of the EE hens I hatched out on the week of Halloween last year didn't start laying until mid July this year... That was over 36+ weeks of wait for most of them...

 

[gonnyto2]

I have 4 hens in total. The 2 mixed breeds started laying on the same day at 29 weeks 3 days back in August. I have 2 brown leghorns and one started laying 3 days ago at 33 weeks 6 days and the other hasn't started laying yet at 34 weeks and 2 days.

 

[RubyNala97]

I'm so happy that I'm not the only one! This post made me feel better. All of my pullets were hatched may-June (so they are 23-27 weeks) and NO eggs yet! They boys are starting to really want to mate the girls but the girls are not having it. I bought 2 hens over a year old so that hopefully the boys would mate them and leave the pullets be. I can't wait until all of my females start laying!

 

[gonnyto2]

I am happy to say that my little Rosie did lay her first egg this morning at 34 weeks 3 days old!!! Now all 4 are laying! I wanted to post the age of my girls to give hope to those who are still waiting on the first eggs......for me 18 -20 weeks old was a LONG time ago and I had almost given up on them!! I guess they lay whenever they are ready no matter how anxious we are for them to hurry up. I do love my girls and love seeing the eggs in the nesting box. Yes, I have more than one box but all 4 now use the same one.

 

[RubyNala97]

I am happy to say that my little Rosie did lay her first egg this morning at 34 weeks 3 days old!!!  Now all 4 are laying!  I wanted to post the age of my girls to give hope to those who are still waiting on the first eggs......for me 18 -20 weeks old was a LONG time ago and I had almost given up on them!!  I guess they lay whenever they are ready no matter how anxious we are for them to hurry up.  I do love my girls and love seeing the eggs in the nesting box.  Yes, I have more than one box but all 4 now use the same one.

Congratulations!! That's so exciting!! Guess I better just be patient then! Can I ask, how'd you get them to use the nest boxes? Was it easy?