When did your Black Stars ..start laying? Update: I GOT NUGGETS!!!

[Aneesa's Muse]

I have 3 big girls that I raised from little week old chicks ..got them back in early July. They have a beau... he's a little fella, named Ben.

From growing up on a farm, I vaguely recall pullets starting to lay around 5-6 months ..and PV, Weeze and Hannah are about that now.

What ages did yours start laying... even dinky little debut eggs?

I'm interested in the youngest and the oldest ..so I can get a good idea of how much longer. I'm ready for some return on all the food and treats this gang gets

 

[LynneP]

16 weeks, 3 days.
Within a week getting 'normal and XL eggs, many were double-yolkers.
They're great birds!

 

[michelle1017]

Some of mine started laying around 5 months, not sure exactly since we acquired them at around 7 months. I think a few of them started laying shortly after we got them also.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Got her on 5/30 and first egg was 11/27.

 

[willowcol]

Got my chicks in april, they started laying in Sept.

 

[orchidchick]

Of the three that I have, one started at 16 weeks, one at 17, and one at 18 1/2. They lay an egg a day pretty regularly, even now. About once every week and a half, there's only two in the nestbox. They are big ones, too!

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Okay.. so I should be getting some eggs soon, right?

Could the colder weather be delaying them? It's not freezing here, of course ..it's CA ...but it does get down to mid 40's through the night.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Are you seeing squatting behavior yet? While an indication of submission for mating rather than of egg-laying, it does indicate sexual maturity. Eggs tend to come within a couple of weeks after squatting.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Ben has been squatting for months ...only I don't think he's the one I should be looking out for

I haven't noticed them squatting, but I'm not in my backyard as much as before. I go out to open the coop, do a "once over" and feed/water... then again in the evening.. same thing.

Maybe they don't like where the boxes are ..or they don't like the boxes period ..I dunno. I just suspect they are old enough and something is amiss....

 

[orchidchick]

Have you thrown a few golf balls in the nests? Mine insist on their golf balls to this day. The deal is I get the brown ones, but I MUST leave the white ones or they carry on......