When should we start looking for eggs?

[SLKchickens]

We have 8 hens (2 Americanas, 2 White Rock, 2 Black Star and 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes). They hatched May 30, so they are only about 18 weeks old. We are in WI and the days are really starting to get shorter. Will they probably still lay this fall/winter?

Put 2 ceramic eggs in the nesting boxes to get them used to the idea...and I find one gets kicked out of the box. Hoping they don't do that with the real eggs!


Here are 2 checking out the nesting boxes.

 

[southburychicks]

I have 2 Golden Comets and a Rhode Island White that just turned 22 wks old on Oct. 2nd. TODAY we got our first egg! So excited! It wasn't in the nesting boxes either. So we almost missed it. Not sure which one laid it but I'm thinking it was the Rhode Island White. She's the only one with a waddle and full comb.

 

[southburychicks]

Here's the first egg!

 

[Lucky Cluck]

Yes, they should be laying anytime now. I ordered 2 white rock chicks (one ended up a meanie roo) about a month before you got yours and my sweet girl started laying a few weeks ago. We are in MN and my flock lays all winter. I am trying out supplemental lighting on a timer this year to help keep production up as I had to start over this year and have different breeds.

 

[aart]

We have 8 hens (2 Americanas, 2 White Rock, 2 Black Star and 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes). They hatched May 30, so they are only about 18 weeks old. We are in WI and the days are really starting to get shorter. Will they probably still lay this fall/winter?

Put 2 ceramic eggs in the nesting boxes to get them used to the idea...and I find one gets kicked out of the box. Hoping they don't do that with the real eggs!


Here are 2 checking out the nesting boxes.

Usually first year layers will lay all winter without supplemental lighting.
Is the pic a view from the egg gathering side of the nest...with the access door open?
Might want to put higher front on nest(3-4") to avoid eggs being kicked out....
.....tho it looks like nest is at coop floor level so no breakage would occur,
and they will stop scratching around so much once they've been laying awhile.



New layers can be quite goofy acting, they don't know what they are doing at first and can be confused and anxious, it can take up to a month or so before they get it all figured out. Putting some fake eggs or golf balls in the nest might help show them where to lay. They may scratch around in the nests for weeks before laying, spreading the bedding everywhere.They will scratch around a bit less in nest as they get used to the routine. Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.