When do chickens lay?

[Homestead girl]

That means they're getting ready to lay an egg. Do you have nest boxes? I have a golf ball in each box, and it's worked. They lay right in the nest boxes.

Yes I have nesting boxes , I have noticed that they are getting into the boxes , so are my Jersey Giants even though they are younger by a week. My EE Rooster just crowed last week for the first time. He is 21 weeks.

 

[ginnychick]

My understanding - when they start squatting when you put your hand out towards them, they are getting ready to start laying ( they squat when they are being mounted by a rooster). Mine squatted for several weeks prior to their first egg.

 

[LTygress]

My Leghorn doesn't make any sounds either. it's a bummer!

My bantams will. And it always worries me, because it's the same sound they all make when there is danger nearby (like a fox I caught in the yard once). But NONE of my large-fowl hens make a noise when they lay.

 

[LTygress]

where are you that you have snakes getting in your nest boxes?

I have the same issue in central Georgia. Unfortunately, they know which is which between eggs and golf balls. I recently caught one in the pen still wrapped around a baby chick (the chick was already dead). I beat him with a stick to get him to leave. As he left, he passed another chick who had died (from something different) and tried eating it, instead. But I just kept beating him with a stick.

Towards the end, he was barely sliding forward anymore. I'm pretty sure he was severely injured. After that, I started putting moth balls around the pen. WORKS LIKE A CHARM!

 

[Annasg]

I live in middle Tn. on the banks of a river. I get all kinds of critters. That snake just looked like he was at home in that box. That same day I put out moth balls and have not seen him or any other since but I am sure they are still around. Now my worry is weasels. Dont need them either

 

[DuginMT]

Mine lay most of the day, between about 9 AM and 5 PM. It is true that each chicken will lay on average of one hour later each day, and when they feel like laying around dusk, they will hold it until the next morning and start laying an egg a day again.

 

[Props4Chicks]

My girls are 16 1/2 week old Golden Comets. I noticed last week, that when I petted their backs they would squat which isn't something that they used to do. I thought to myself, That was strange. So I searched around on Backyard Chickens (thank goodness for this site!) and read how they would do the squatting thing before they start laying. I had their nesting boxes closed up because I didn't want them to get the idea that nesting box equals bed. I opened up their nesting boxes and put some hay in there and the waiting began. I would check everyday. All I saw was were they had scratched around in them. It rained all day yesterday so I couldn't check the boxes. Today, I go out and let the girls out to roam and do their chicken thing, I check the nesting boxes and... BEHOLD...



TWO EGGS! and one was a double yoker!

I'm so proud and I have no idea when it happened.

 

[LTygress]

I live in middle Tn. on the banks of a river. I get all kinds of critters. That snake just looked like he was at home in that box. That same day I put out moth balls and have not seen him or any other since but I am sure they are still around. Now my worry is weasels. Dont need them either

I think I jinxed myself...

I found a king snake back in the pen again today. The same one I beat with a stick last time - with a scar on his side from the beating. I called my brother-in-law outside with a shovel to just kill him this time (chop off his head). My nephew comes out to do it instead, and as we watch him try to sneak under the side of the pen to get out, I realize he can't. He's stuck. There's a bulge in his belly stopping him.

But I count all of the chicks, and they are there. I had just been out to look for eggs, so I was sure it wasn't an egg. But after a while of him attempting to get out, I realized the bulge is PERFECTLY ROUND. THE KING SNAKE HAD SWALLOWED A GOLF BALL!!!

My nephew comes in to the pen and takes him out anyway. And it took about TWO FULL HOURS for the snake's body to stop twitching, moving, and even reacting to touch. The head died within 15 minutes, but the rest of the snake just kept going! During this time my nephew picks it up and squeezes the body to bring the golfball back up - through the spot where his head used to be. And sure enough, there it is.... one dirty, white, pitted golfball.

So there you have it. Not only do golfballs teach your hens where to lay, but apparently even SNAKES can't tell the difference!


And yes, we got some gruesome video of the body still moving long after it was dead. Once it finally stopped and went limp, we put the body back in the chicken pen so they could eat the meat.

Karma!

 

[Spikes Chooks]

My girls are 16 1/2 week old Golden Comets. I noticed last week, that when I petted their backs they would squat which isn't something that they used to do. I thought to myself, That was strange. So I searched around on Backyard Chickens (thank goodness for this site!) and read how they would do the squatting thing before they start laying. I had their nesting boxes closed up because I didn't want them to get the idea that nesting box equals bed. I opened up their nesting boxes and put some hay in there and the waiting began. I would check everyday. All I saw was were they had scratched around in them. It rained all day yesterday so I couldn't check the boxes. Today, I go out and let the girls out to roam and do their chicken thing, I check the nesting boxes and... BEHOLD...



TWO EGGS! and one was a double yoker!

I'm so proud and I have no idea when it happened.

Fantastic!!!! It's such a great feeling, isn't it!

 

[GFamily]

My girls are 16 1/2 week old Golden Comets. I noticed last week, that when I petted their backs they would squat which isn't something that they used to do. I thought to myself, That was strange. So I searched around on Backyard Chickens (thank goodness for this site!) and read how they would do the squatting thing before they start laying. I had their nesting boxes closed up because I didn't want them to get the idea that nesting box equals bed. I opened up their nesting boxes and put some hay in there and the waiting began. I would check everyday. All I saw was were they had scratched around in them. It rained all day yesterday so I couldn't check the boxes. Today, I go out and let the girls out to roam and do their chicken thing, I check the nesting boxes and... BEHOLD...



TWO EGGS! and one was a double yoker!

I'm so proud and I have no idea when it happened.

That is so exciting! Congratulations! A double yolker when she first started laying! Awesome!