When Do Hens Start Laying?/Share Your Laying Experiences

[TeaChick]

im 13 and i have over 40 chicks running around my room i have 2 bantam americauna laying and 12 chicks 3 months old tomorrow and then a bunch of little chicks in my room running around and when i lived in pennsylvania my dad convinced my mom to get chickens for eggs sadly i had to sell them bc i had to move but i got more now and when i first got and a egg it was 2 years ago and i went outside to check on them and the hen was making a nest in my goat pen and i watched then the egg came out i ran inside and i said to my mom I GOT AN EGG and she was like put it in the fridge but knoing me i was like NO IM GUNNA MAKE DIPPY EGGS FOR LUNCH and my mom was liuke well we hav no bread so for the first time i had a scrammbled and it was delicious. but now im waiting for these 3 months to get ready to lay. in the future of course but yes it depends on the breed and it normally is between 5 months to 1 year. my parents are mad at me cause i went to tsc and im like if they have slw im getting some and guess what they did and they were pullets so i got 4 of those a speckled sussx straight run but i sexed it and it is a hen and a japanese bantam which also is a hen cause i sexed it and they were like NO MORE CHICKENS and im like what can i do for them and there like u can be grounded for a week and clean the house tonight so im lke WHATEVER and i got them and grounding for me means no playing with my friends and its not a big deal but my parents think im highly obsessed and i am IM VERY OBSSESED WITH BIRDs as of right now i have 25 chicken eggs in my bator and 7 under my one bantam hen 15 duck eggs in my bator and 5 goose eggs. but i have tons of chickens 2 peacocks 2 geese 6 ducks that are pets 5 ducks that i hatched already that are for meat and 2 goats and a sheep so ya i might be a little obssessed cause we moved into this house only 4 months ago and i already haven all of them btw 4 of the ducks are fully grown and 2 are 3 months and btw the 2 goats and 3 ducks moved across country because of me i couldnt sell them so we brought them across the country.

I made that up!!! I called over-easy eggs "dippy eggs" for my oldest when I made her eggs and toast for b-fast. lol
Scrambled is my favorite.

those chicks look like rhode island reds or red sex links

I agree.

That's what I was thinking. They look just like the RIRs we got from TSC. Have fun with em no matter what they are!

Be careful. We got some pullets that were marked RIR at TSC last year; turns out, they were gold Comets (same egg production, somewhat higher possibility of broodiness, and no real difference in price). Either way, yes, "have fun with 'em"!!!!!

 

[paf01d]

My very first flock of RIR started at 4 months! I was shocked and surprised, not expecting eggs until 5 mo. Every collection had at least one double yoker for weeks and weeks.

 

[AbiLuv]

With my first chickens: Four RIRs and two leghorns, one of the RIRs started laying really early at just over four months. The others all started at five months.

 

[CountryGeorge]

Two years ago I got my first chickens in recent times on April 19, supposedly I bought 12 pullets. One of them came through and started to lay on August 28. So four months and ten days or so it started and the other ladies soon started up as well. I started keeping track a month later and was getting at least five eggs a day and sometimes hit 7 or 8. Not bad for a total of 10 hens for two of my pullets ended up crowing and growing curly tail feathers.

 

[nate1the1great1]

ikr how does tsc know what are pullets and arent and the hathers just look and assume pullet and put it in pullet box but sometimes boys show up lol

 

[hollymh]

I got chicks in Sept and they just started to lay a week ago so about 7 months old, they were hatchery chicks a mix of EEs, Jersey giants, and Brahmas, all are standards. I have orpington, sussex, and silkie show birds from good stock and they started laying at about 5-6 months.

 

[Ellaluvsbirds]

I'm the mother of three little chicks- Beatrice, Keisha and Mackenzie- all five days off three weeks old.

I was curious as to when they start laying. This is my first time caring for chicks and I'm raising them on my own.

Is there a usual age as to when they may start laying? I read somewhere it was around 6 months and they usually lay an egg every day.

What are your experiences with handling hens laying, and any funny/interesting stories you'd like to share about your flock?

Thanks, Rachel.

The usual age for chickens to start laying is around 24 weeks. But, I have had some start laying as soon as 20 weeks and as late as 29 weeks. It all depends on the weather, stresses etc. At the start they may not lay exactly and egg a day, but once they get going they usually do. BTW I am also a teen, but I live in Canada. I`m raising chickens, peafowl, quail, ducks and pheasants.

 

[Goldencluckacre]

Congratulations! Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens! 18-20 weeks, but it does depend on the breed. Production breeds tend to start on the earlier side. My Barred Rocks started at 22 weeks, while my Ameracauna took longer. My Speckled Sussex took 8 months! You will know when they are ready …. some tell-tale signs include the "submissive squat." Enjoy your girls.

 

[ElbowLakeRoos]

This is my beautiful chick Keisha, also the biggest, who never stays still: This is the beautiful Mackenzie, the medium sized one, and also bit of a poser: This is the beautiful Beatrice, the smallest: Thanks

Honestly from my experience it looks as if your last two chicks a Roos. Though I'm not so sure at this age. Also I'm gonna guess either some sex links or buff orpingtons. Keep me updated!

 

[GrannysChickens]

Oh they are so cute! I have one little chick that looks a lot like Beatrice. I am curious what breed she is also.