When shoul my hens start laying?

[spankyway]

If you don't have a nesting box will the hens still lay eggs? I have two Cochin's that we got form somebody local and they were laying a little bit and the previous owner did not have any nesting boxes. If I build some will it improve the laying ability/capacity?

 

[adorable]

I dont think it will make them lay more.Putting in nesting boxes and show them what they are for. They will go in them.Because they can be hind in corners and you wouldnt get all the eggs.But if they are older ones and they are use to lay where ever. It could be a challenge to get them to lay in nesting boxes. Unless they are with other ones they are using them.

 

[adorable]

they will still lay with boxes or not.

 

[spankyway]

Thanks for the clarification. I guess I need to keep my little girls out of the coupe so the birds can get comfortable and do their thing

 

[keljonma]

The hens will lay no matter what. If a nest box isn't available, they may in a corner of their house. We have pullets in with the hens and it never stopped the hens from laying.

You don't need to build any thing fancy. Some our nest boxes are an old box style shelf and corner feed bins. One of my friends uses those plastic containers that kitty litter comes in and her sister uses kitty litter or dish washing plastic bins she got from the dollar store.

 

[justmesb]

WELL I AM NO EXPERT BUT I CAN TELL YOU I GOT A RIR AND SHE WILL BE FIVE MONTHS THE SECOND WEEK OF JULY AND LAST NIGHT SHE LAID HER FIRST EGG. I KNOW ITS HERS BECAUSE IT IS SO SMALL COMPARED TO THE OTHER EGGS OUR LADIES GIVE US I AM SO PROUD OF HER!!!!!!! SHE DOES JUST LIKE THE OTHER HENS AND LAID IN THE SAME HEN BOX ALL THE HENS LAY IN. EVERYONE SEEMS TO ONLY USE ONE PARTICULAR HEN BOX. IT MAKES COLLECTING THEM SO EASY.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Double or TRIPLE yolker ?


Man , thats kinda of young to be laying already . I heard usually 20 - 25 weeks at the earliest to LAY .

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
ALL depends on the breed . ALOT of hens lay as early as 20 - 25 weeks old . READ the following reply after yours .


I have 29 - 14 week old teens right now , and I am already mixing grower feed and laying pellets .

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
How many hens do you have ? PUT about 1 nest box for every 4 hens you have . I put pine shavings in the nest and dropped 2 golf balls per nest box and they ALL go in the same nest box . LOL I have about 8 nesting boxes , BUT the 3 that are laying right now ALL go in same BOX . LOL

As for the feed , I still have mine on grower feed and MIX with the laying pellets . they NEED the PROTEIN

 

[spankyway]

Quote:
I have a couple of things in their coupe for them. The one Cochin that layed at the previous owners place layed in a flower pot, so I put a similar one inthe pen. I also have an old steel wheel without the tire onit sitting ont he ground with straw in it, they seem to like sitting in it. The last "nest" is a plastic bin similar to the cat littler box. I have seen my hens in all of these and also sitting in the corner of the house all huddled up. One thing that is a little funny, I have two Cochin hens. When one is sitting the other kind of guards it and won't let any other chickens around it. I have been looking for eggs after that but never see any.