When do Wyandottes generally start laying?

[eggcatcher]

Thanks for your feedback. Will try to get the larger nests made. The preference for one particular nest has always been common with my chickens. Recently one used a different one so they all started using it. I often see 2 chickens in the nest together. I guess it's just a chicken kinda thing to do.

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

My boxes are 24x24. I have 4 lg boxes but they only use two of them. They like to pile in two chickens at a time. I have no idea why they seem to favor just those two boxes.

If you don't mind my asking, if your girls only use two of your 4 nest boxes, how many hens do you have? And do Wyandottes really get big enough that they need a 24x24 nest box or do you have that size box just because your hens tend to like to go in 2 at a time so it needs to be a lot bigger?

I'm wondering because I have a new mixed flock of 8 birds including 2 GLW hens, 2 (of what I was told were Buff Orphingtons but I have found out are maybe Red Sex Linked hens), 2 EE hens, and for now 2 EE Roos. We will be getting more soon to include at least 2-4 more WLW/BLW so we will probably end up with about 10-12 hens and the current nest boxes I have are made out of milk crates that measure 14.5x12. Is this to small? My current birds are only 10 weeks old this week so I have time but I wanted to make sure I have everything right for them. Thank you so much for any replies or help with this.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I started with nine chicks; 1 light brahma which got really big; 1 Blue Wyandotte which got fairly big but not as big as the Brahma; 3 red sex links; two white leghorns; 1 white silkie. I had six 12x12 nest boxes and 2 24x24 nest boxes. they all sat atop a 15" shelf. None of the chickens would ever use or even go into the upper smaller boxes. They all wanted to cram into the two large boxes. I tried putting fake eggs in them and lifting the chickens into them, but no go. So I used them for storage, and went out and bought 2 more large boxes. Crazy chickens still want to use the original 2 large boxes. They will sometimes use the two new large boxes if I put fake eggs in them. Milk crates make perfect size nesting boxes, and their easy to clean.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Oh Sorry I didn't answer your question. I do think Wyandottes get too big for those 12x12 nest boxes. They have to cram their tail in the small square. At least my girl thought they were too small for her. HaHa.

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

Oh Sorry I didn't answer your question. I do think Wyandottes get too big for those 12x12 nest boxes. They have to cram their tail in the small square. At least my girl thought they were too small for her. HaHa.

Ok, cool...I will expect to do some larger nest boxes as well. The milk crates I have are 14.5 deep x 12 wide and our coop has room for 12 of them so I will just reduce the number of milk crate nests and make some bigger ones in place. I didn't realize that they would get that big that they wouldn't fit! My grandparents farms on both sides of my family always just used the milk crate nests for all of their laying birds but I guess they didn't have birds as big as these. Thanks for the advice, I want to make sure they're comfy cause happy birds are egg
laying birds!!!

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I think th 14x12 milk cartons would work. Iv'e seen lots of people using them.

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

I think th 14x12 milk cartons would work. Iv'e seen lots of people using them.

I have really fluffy thick fake turf that I have lining the bottoms and I hope they like them but if not then I'll make some bigger ones for the ladies.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Just make sure its something that can be cleaned easily because sometimes eggs get broken.

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

Just make sure its something that can be cleaned easily because sometimes eggs get broken.

It has drain holes in the bottom and the mats can be taken out and soaked or sprayed or whatever so it should be great for keeping clean and bug free as long as they end up liking the texture of it.

 

[eggcatcher]

Wow I'm hearing ages all over the place for when to expect my SLW hen to start laying. I've always bought leghorn pullets before and never had a rooster because I live close to my neighbors. However a couple of other neighbors got roosters and I got a couple of SLW by mistake one which is no question a rooster so I've decided to keep them. My girl and I'm pretty sure she's a girl hasn't given me an egg yet. She's 26weeks plus and no eggs. She's smaller than the one I know is a rooster. I had a friend who worked on a chicken farm sex her just to be sure and he said it's a hen. She crows once in a while when the rooster does but her crow is much quieter and she only does it once in a while when he does. She's smaller and much more skittish. I know the days are getting shorter but like someone else said should I not expect any eggs until Spring? That's ridiculous. I have a light bulb on in the coop for 10hours a day. I thought the problem might be the nests because she's twice the size of my leghorns. I built her two 17in x 20in nests. She didn't like me catching her much but I put her in it and she acted like she really liked it. Stood up straight walked around in it, didn't run from me a little twinkle in the eye and calmness in her inspection. I know I can't really read her mind but she really acted like she liked it. Chicken people I hope know what I mean. I've never seen her sitting in it. So do I just need to be more patient? Is there something I'm missing here?

I'm getting lots of white eggs from the leghorns but not a brown one yet. Ideas, encouragement, suggestions wanted.