When will my EE start laying?? The other girls have been laying for three weeks now.

[dadschicks]

I have four hens, a RIR, Cinnamon Queen, a Barred Rock and an EE. Three of the four started laying within days of each other at about 21 weeks. My EE has not laid yet. Does this breed take longer to mature? I got them all at the same time and was told they were all about 2 weeks old when I bought them. Is is possible that she will wait till Spring to lay, even though the others are still laying? I put a light on the coop at night to extend the daylight hours, but still no eggs from her. I expect her eggs to be blue/green am pretty sure that she hasn't layed yet.

Also, about the second week that the first two started laying we had a cold rainy night, in the morning, much before I was expecting to see eggs, there were to eggs in the roosting area, one was without a shell and the other had a mushy shell. This never happened since. Any thoughts on why this happened? I thought it would not happen since the first week or so of eggs were good quality. Could it have been a change in weather? Too cold for them? Not enough protein?

Any thoughts?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Some chickens just take longer to get going than others. My EEs were the last of my four chickens to lay.

You should not have to add light their first year. Pullets will lay through the first winter regardless of light.

Soft shelled, or shell-less, eggs are not uncommon when they begin laying... and sometimes later as well. Just make sure they are getting good nutrition - layer feed or feed with oyster shell (or some form of supplemental calcium) on the side.

Oh, and while EEs have the green egg gene, you are not absolutely guaranteed a green egg.

Good luck!

 

[dadschicks]

Hi Yay Chicks, thanks for all your wisdom tonight. I guess I will just have to be patient.

 

[Messipaw]

My EE is the most fickle bird ever. She is the last to lay and the first to stop laying. She is my only go broody hen in the house. She is a sweet heart but very temperamental.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Like others have said she may be laying, but laying a brown egg. My 4 present EEs were the first to lay, the last to molt & the first to come out of molt, so they have been great. Each one is different.

 

[donrae]

Does your EE have a pea comb? If she's straight combed, she has much higher chances of laying a shade of brown. Post a pic if you're unsure on comb type.