When Do Hens Start Laying?/Share Your Laying Experiences

[Manningjw]

Our chickens started laying at all different ages. The earliest we have ever had a chicken lay was a Red Star who started laying between 16 and 18 weeks old (cannot quite remember which). Chicks out of the same hatch date took as long as 26 weeks. I hatched out my own chickens that were mixed breed - the earliest started at 20 weeks of age and she was consistent about 6 out of 7 days of the week except when she went broody of course. Right now her daughter is 23 weeks old and hasn't started laying yet - but she is grooming the nest boxes so it should be any day.

 

[miksmity]

II have currently 63 chicks and counting
I have 4 brooding hens and 1 brooding box
My first hen started brooding last year when she turned about 2
All my chick r EE or golden/silver polish chickens
My hens currently have 30 chicks
10 each
I hatch them and place them with a hen that is brooding
I can't let them sit on eggs cause I run an egg busness so therefore they lay and brood healthy happy chicks and eggs
I have multiple other poultry such as ducks, quail, peafoul,turkey's,geese, and Guinne foul
I have about 4 diffrent breeds of chickens that I brood and sell at farmers markets for a busness
I love poultry!!!!!

edited by staff

 

[miksmity]

My chicks lay at 4 months old
All my chickens r free ranges and extremely organic and before my hens start to lay I feed them high I'm protein sprouted wheat grass and ground corn with grain we made ourselves
I live on a farm in Illinois tha is all organic and we live off the land
So pretty much a homestead
We have every farm animal u can think of
Rabbits to mules
Cattle pigs goats sheep a lama poultry rabbits horses mule
We got it all

 

[chickengal777]

Usually about six months. Sometimes a little early or later

 

[AKchicken1]

We raise barred rocks, ameraucanas, and sex links. Ours have always come into their first egg laying season at 19 to 22 weeks.

 

[bruce89123]

My current flock consists of fifteen Red Stars. The first egg from this flock was laid the first day of week 15. Before the end of week 16 they had all started laying.

 

[273816]

Glad to hear it differences depending on breeds. I'm positive my three chicks are all different breeds, one I suspect to be a red sexlink or red star. Thanks for all your help everyone!

 

[dave3003102]

Most of them 5 - 6 months.

 

[N F C]

Our EE began laying at 5 months (she laid her 1st egg a couple weeks ago). She seems to be on a pattern of laying 3 days in a row then 1 day off. Nicely shaped, medium sized pale blue/green eggs.

Our RIR's are the same age and haven't started laying yet but we did see one of them sitting in the nesting box yesterday so maybe they will start soon too.

It's funny...one of the RIR's seems to be fascinated by the EE laying. When the EE gets into the nesting box, that RIR follows her and stands at a respectful distance and just watches the whole process. When the EE is finished and saunters back outside, the RIR follows her and they go about their daily business like nothing happened.

 

[miksmity]

My RIR does that same thing but will most often try to snuggle with my older hens although she is 8 months she gets kicked out by the hens
The RIR is one of my main birds of my egg production busness which supprised me because she was only 6 months at the time