"when will I get eggs, when will I get eggs"

[chickenwhisperer]

If I got a nickel for every post on this website that asks this question . . .

It doesnt matter what kind of chicken you have, the generic answer is around 5 months . . .

Granted, some do it sooner, some do it later . . .

The bottom line is that YOUR chicken will not lay her first egg, no matter what you do(cayanne pepper, artificial lights, uncle leroy's "secret trick"), until she is dang good and ready.

You cant rush mother nature on this, just cant be done.

The "tricks" are to keep older hens laying thru 2nd winter, not to speed up a young pullet to lay.

(sorry, I been reading old pages looking for info I wanted, and I swear every old page has this question at LEAST 5x on it . . .)

 

[tammyd57]

Yeah and after that first egg excitement is over, it's not long til you're wondering if they'll EVER give ya a break from so many darned eggs!

 

[Happy Chooks]

So when do you think my welsummer will lay an egg?

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

 

[gvntofly05]

Yep nothing but patience! Good thing I have a lot of it! My girls will be 6 months on Sunday and no eggs yet! Hubby on the other hand is the one without patience. He asks me everyday when he gets home from work "Any eggs yet?" Of course everyday is "No." Like I wouldn't text him right away when I find the first egg

The day I find my first egg I will be so excited that it will be posted on here, with pics of course, all over facebook, and I'll probably even call my parents!

But when it happens I am going to have so many eggs. Good thing I've already set up a deal with a local health food store to buy the extras!

 

[kittykorat]

I've heard that EE's start laying later. I have 4 EE's, a white rock and an Australorpe. They are 6 months... no eggs. Yeah, I'm getting impatient.

 

[HEChicken]

Actually, the "secret trick" to getting them to lay is to forget that hens even provide eggs! If you don't look for eggs, you'll be pleasantly surprised and amazed when you find an egg in the nest box! Seriously, I got so used to telling myself that because my pullets would come "of age" right around the shortest day of the year and it might be Spring before I saw an egg that it came as a complete shock when the first egg arrived. I didn't even check daily - just fed and cleaned the coop and refilled water bowls and oh, what's that over there? An egg? Seriously? In the middle of winter when we only have 10 hours of daylight?

 

[12GAGirl]

I was expecting my ens to start laying this spring since I got them in August and they would be old enough in the middle of winter but to my surprize I cleaned out the coop one day and the next morning I checked to see how bad they messed it up and there was a small egg on the coop floor! It was cracked because it was dropped from the perch to the coop floor but I was so ticked I sent a pic to my hubby. I have to say I think it your climate has a lot to do with when your hens will lay along with the breed. I hear so many people say EE are late layers but my two started laying about two weeks after the rirs and they all were about 4 1/2 months old. I don't agree with the lil tricks to increase laying either. I use red heat light for them so as to not make them think they are getting more daylight time and I don't give them stuff like pepper to make them lay more. I make sure the get the right feed and treats from the kitchen and that is all. I healthy happy chickens and good eggs for my family not little egg machines!

 

[littlelemon]

I needed this reminder today. I have 4 pullets (2 Welsummers, 2 Buckeyes) that are almost a year old, and I have YET to see an egg from any of them. Plus, my other 8 hens are STILL on their winter break. I haven't seen an egg since November

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Oh wow, that is a while to wait. May you be given beautiful, dark eggs soon.

 

[kittykorat]

Quote:
I'm totally LOL right now.
I posted this morning... and guess what I found in the coop this afternoon!
First egg! Woohooo!