When do Easter Eggers start laying?

[Wetherwell]

My 3 EE girls were born at the very end of March and none of them have laid yet .

I havent seen them squat or anything .......

But here is a *really* weird thing.

These 3 girls are in with my others who were also born in March. We also have a roo in with them that was born in March as well.

Diesel the roo, often pecks at the EE girls ( all 3 of them ) and I'm just wondering why he is pecking at the 3 EE girls and **only** the EE girls.

Is it because they're not yet laying ?

Could it be their coloring ?

I have 21 birds in one yard and coop. These consist of 1 Golden Comet , the 3 EE girls , 6 production reds , 5 tetra tints, 3 black stars and 2 amber links plus the 1 white leghorn roo.

Oddly enough , one of the EE girls is the smallest of my birds and the lowest in the pecking order. I nicknamed her Baby because she was so small .....well, it stuck but she is the cutest thing you ever saw.


I've often considered in the last couple of months, of putting the 3 EE girls in their own yard and coop until they started laying ...thinking that maybe since they are the 3 lowest in the pecking order that it may be a potential cause of them not laying.

( now watch that I've posted this, I'll find that one or two or even all three of the EE girls have laid their first egg )

 

[bruceha2000]

My 3 EE girls were born at the very end of March and none of them have laid yet .

I havent seen them squat or anything .......

But here is a *really* weird thing.

These 3 girls are in with my others who were also born in March. We also have a roo in with them that was born in March as well.

Diesel the roo, often pecks at the EE girls ( all 3 of them ) and I'm just wondering why he is pecking at the 3 EE girls and **only** the EE girls.

Is it because they're not yet laying ?

Could it be their coloring ?

( now watch that I've posted this, I'll find that one or two or even all three of the EE girls have laid their first egg )

Or you will find the hidden nest

How are the roosters pecking at them? None of my 4 "muffed/bearded" girls have them any more. One of the Faverolles started pecking them out of the other 3. I've seen one of the Anconas join in and now the instigator is also "clean shaven". I did get some no-pick but I need someone to hold them while I apply it. I hope they will get replacement muff/beard feathers come first moult next fall. Clemence may not have liked the look, but I didn't buy naked neck chickens!

Bruce

 

[Wetherwell]

Bruce,
The rooster is pecking them to be mean. Usually just a few times a day. He has never tried to fly up at them but will chase them away from treats or the water bucket... flat out, he's being a bully...........which is why I thought he is doing it because they weren't laying yet or because of their coloring.

 

[bruceha2000]

Bruce,
The rooster is pecking them to be mean. Usually just a few times a day. He has never tried to fly up at them but will chase them away from treats or the water bucket... flat out, he's being a bully...........which is why I thought he is doing it because they weren't laying yet or because of their coloring.

I don't know why he is doing it, but I can imagine that would stress the girls out quite a bit. Perhaps he needs a trip out back to the woodshed. Bullying them isn't likely to make them MORE interested in laying eggs (not that they are actually interested, it just happens). What if you isolate him for a few days and see if the girls settle down?

Bruce

 

[Wetherwell]

I don't know why he is doing it, but I can imagine that would stress the girls out quite a bit. Perhaps he needs a trip out back to the woodshed. Bullying them isn't likely to make them MORE interested in laying eggs (not that they are actually interested, it just happens). What if you isolate him for a few days and see if the girls settle down?

Bruce

Thanks Bruce ~!

I forgot to post yesterday but I came home to find two green eggs WOO HOO

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks Bruce ~!

I forgot to post yesterday but I came home to find two green eggs WOO HOO

Congrats!

Now to figure out if you can tell them apart AND which girl laid each.

Bruce

 

[Doctor Pammie]

Hi!
We are new to chickens--just started our first small flock this July. We bought our birds from a young girl who had hatched them as a 4-H project. She told us they were Ameraucanas, but now that we know a little more, we're pretty sure they're Easter Eggers. By our best estimate, they are 28 weeks old and we just got our first eggs! What a wonderful Christmas present! We have 4 hens all the same age and we have no idea who is laying. We have had 3 brown eggs and two that didn't quite form, although my husband said he could tell the shell on one would have also been brown. We're hoping someone will still produce some fun colored eggs, but we were so excited to have our very own eggs for the first time. We were surprised that they decided to lay during the shortest days of the year, but we'll take it! Happy New Year to all who have posted on this thread!
Pam

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi!
We are new to chickens--just started our first small flock this July. We bought our birds from a young girl who had hatched them as a 4-H project. She told us they were Ameraucanas, but now that we know a little more, we're pretty sure they're Easter Eggers. By our best estimate, they are 28 weeks old and we just got our first eggs! What a wonderful Christmas present! We have 4 hens all the same age and we have no idea who is laying. We have had 3 brown eggs and two that didn't quite form, although my husband said he could tell the shell on one would have also been brown. We're hoping someone will still produce some fun colored eggs, but we were so excited to have our very own eggs for the first time. We were surprised that they decided to lay during the shortest days of the year, but we'll take it! Happy New Year to all who have posted on this thread!
Pam

Brown can happen with EEs (and I have no idea with what frequency) and not with Ameraucanas so you are right on that call. Of course brown is not what we all want when we get the EE girls.

Pictures?
Do they have muffs/beards?
Are the legs green or slate?

Maybe the eggs all came from the first to lay and there is hope for green or blue from the other 3. I wonder if the odds of them all laying brown is higher if they all came from the same parents.

Bruce

 

[Doctor Pammie]

They do have muffs although I'm not sure what "beards" look like (at least on birds--LOL!). They do not have regular wattles. One of them came from a different home, but the other three came from the 4-H girl's home where there were LOTS of different kinds of chickens/roosters, many of which roamed together. The one from the girl next door to the 4-H girl (I've forgotten her name, isn't that awful?) is the largest. She was pure white for the longest time, then she started growing all these caramel colored feathers. She's the only one with a "standard comb" but her legs are slate blue. Of the three from the same home, one has a lot of rust colored feathers on a white body and green legs. The other two seem to be siblings--they are "blue" with black legs. One of them has a rust colored ring around her neck. I will try to attach pictures, but they're old. (Our best ones are on Facebook, where my husband does all the loading and technical stuff, so I don't have many images on my own computer. Our page there is "Ruffled Feathers Hen House" which is kind of a joke since my husband's last name is Ruf!) Anyhow, we just learned today about the significance of the squatting behavior, and only two are doing that (neither of the blues), so it's a good bet the eggs came from the two of them (too many eggs in too short a period of time to be from one bird.) OK, here goes my first attempt at adding pictures . . .
The red bird front left is our little roo we just sent to the big roost in the sky. :/ The pullet on the right has green legs. We think she's one of the layers. The white bird in the back is the other suspect. The kids had named her "Skeletor" so, in deference to them, we rebaptized her Kelli. My husband calls her "Mother Kelli" because she is clearly the alpha bird who occasionally pecks at the others. Her coloring has totally changed, though.
This is Belle. You can see how black her legs are. She's our smallest girl and our shyest.


Another look at the reds and the blues.
OK, adding pictures is not hard! These were all taken when they were just about 2 months old and now they're about 7, so they're a lot bigger! But the coloring is the same, except for Mother Kelli!
Anyhow, thanks for replying! I am learning so much on this website! People are so friendly and helpful!

 

[bruceha2000]

They do have muffs although I'm not sure what "beards" look like (at least on birds--LOL!). They do not have regular wattles.

I will try to attach pictures, but they're old.(Our best ones are on Facebook, where my husband does all the loading and technical stuff, so I don't have many images on my own computer.

Anyhow, we just learned today about the significance of the squatting behavior, and only two are doing that (neither of the blues), so it's a good bet the eggs came from the two of them (too many eggs in too short a period of time to be from one bird.)

The white bird in the back is the other suspect. The kids had named her "Skeletor" so, in deference to them, we rebaptized her Kelli.


This is Belle. You can see how black her legs are. She's our smallest girl and our shyest.

Here is a link to a couple of EEs with clearly visible beards
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/720800/beards-of-beauty-online-chicken-show#post_9914599
Combs and wattles on my 2 EEs are VERY small.

Yes, the squat thing, once you've seen it, is very telling of them being ready or already laying. I should get a short video of Andromeda (an EE) doing it. She flattens out like Wile E Coyote when one of his grand plans lands on him.

My EEs changed color over time as well.

I don't "do" Facebook (who has time for that when there are Chicken forums to read?

) so I can't see the newer pictures. I'm guessing Belle turned out beautiful.

I think Kelli is a nice name for a chicken and I'm sure she appreciates the change. Rotten kids!

Bruce