When on earth will my EE's lay??

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

I know there are other posts about this, but I wanted to include a picture of our girls. We got them in May when they were between 4-5 months old. They have grown a ton and their combs are getting very red, but no signs of laying otherwise do you think there is still hope for this year before it gets darker and cooler?

 

[sourland]

EE work on their own schedules, but I think you will see eggs within a month or so.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Pretty girls. So they are now 7-8 months old. They should definitely be laying. Are they confined to a coop and run, so you know they are not laying "out" where you might not be able to find the eggs? Is there any chance rats or mice might be stealing the eggs? Is there ANY possibility they are actually older hens than you were led to believe? Just trying to cover all possibilities .... they look young, based on the nice smooth legs I can see. I can't think of anything else, but it's possible they are still getting used to their new home.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If that's a current photo and that's how red their combs usually appear, none of those birds look particularly close.

 

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

Pretty girls. So they are now 7-8 months old. They should definitely be laying. Are they confined to a coop and run, so you know they are not laying "out" where you might not be able to find the eggs? Is there any chance rats or mice might be stealing the eggs? Is there ANY possibility they are actually older hens than you were led to believe? Just trying to cover all possibilities .... they look young, based on the nice smooth legs I can see. I can't think of anything else, but it's possible they are still getting used to their new home.

They have definitely aren't laying elsewhere and rats and mice aren't taking them. When we purchased them we were told they were between 15-20 weeks and that was in May...good point about them getting used to their new home. It's like they gotten accustomed to everything else except egg laying lol

 

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

If that's a current photo and that's how red their combs usually appear, none of those birds look particularly close.

That is a current photo. You're right a few don't have the deep red comb, but the one with the darker head has gotten noticably darker in the last week or some. Fingers crossed

 

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

I noticed the nest boxes were being dug around in. This morning our girl with the reddest, most prominent comb was sitting in there, but no egg yet! Feels like we're getting closer. She must sit in there early mornings before we let them out because there's a slight depression where she sits!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't think they were 4-5 months old in May. If they have grown a ton since you got them. They look to be 4-5 months old NOW to me.

 

[Iluveggers]

I don't think they were 4-5 months old in May. If they have grown a ton since you got them. They look to be 4-5 months old NOW to me.

I was thinking the same thing.