when they start laying

[trouthat]

How old does a chicken have to be when they start laying hteir eggs?

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

18 weeks is some what normal... but a chicken will lay when it wants Some as early as 17 or earlier or as late as they want.

 

[trouthat]

mine are about 16 weeks old. and they finally have gotten all of their feathers in almost. my femails have theirs but only 1 of my 3 males have theirs.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
16 weeks old and just feathering out? That just doesn't sound right.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I would say between 20 and 24 weeks for most birds...some lay later and some lay earlier but I think the average would be around 20-24 weeks. Mine JUST started laying and they are all 24 weeks. The exception was my sex link, she started at 20

 

[Lonomakana]

I found my first eggs this week and my chicks are 22 weeks old (RIR, BO, EE, BR). I hadn't finished the nest boxes until this weekend. They are laying in it every morning now. I also found 10 eggs behind a tree today. Thank goodness. Now they can earn their keep.

 

[nhnanna]

20-24 weeks usually

 

[Sequin]

When they are good and ready.

Mine made me wait for that first egg until they were around 6 months old. And a few of them haven't even started laying yet at that!!

 

[cmom]

They will lay when they are good and ready. My first was at 17 weeks, my last was 27 weeks.

 

[debilorrah]

Mine are 10 weeks and have been fully feathered for a bit now. I have heard that 26 weeks is average, give or take a month or two.