When will my hen start laying?

[David61]

That's interesting I haven't thought of doing that yet! I will reach for them tomorrow to see if they drop down! Thank you!

Be somewhat aggressive and go right for the saddle. You will be as shocked as she is when it happens.
Normally they would just move away as they always have. But you will see a slower reaction of moving away, raising the head, lowering the rear with a duck walk or an out right stop and drop.

 

[aart]

Short answer to Thread Title Question:
When they are darn well and ready!!

Messing up of nests is the best sign I've seen that eggs are imminent.
Checking pelvic points on pullets can give a clue, maybe better than squatting.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Claudinechick]

Short answer to Thread Title Question:
When they are darn well and ready!!

Messing up of nests is the best sign I've seen that eggs are imminent.
Checking pelvic points on pullets can give a clue, maybe better than squatting.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

This gave me hope because they have been messing up with the nest for two days now! I have to put the hay back every morning! Hopefully it's a sign.Thanks for the link I will look at their pelvic bone when I'll be done with work! Have a good day!

 

[aart]

I have to put the hay back every morning

Taller fronts on the nests can really help keep the bedding and the eggs(real and fake) inside the nests.

 

[Claudinechick]

Great news guys! I had an egg in one of the nesting box this morning!!It was quite the surprise when I saw it was a dark brown egg since my black cooper maran was one of the only hen to show no interest in the nesting box So since my weathen Maran can also lay dark eggs and has been showing interest in the nesting box, I take it she might be the one that laid this beauty! What do you guys think?

Also in my excitment to take many photos of the egg, it fell on the floor kinda ruined the moment a little, but it's still an exciting day hahaha!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Yay! So exciting. Congratulations on the beautiful dark brown egg!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Congrats on the egg, sorry it ended up on the floor instead of a plate!

 

[Claudinechick]

Yay! So exciting. Congratulations on the beautiful dark brown egg!

Thank you so much!

Congrats on the egg, sorry it ended up on the floor instead of a plate!

Thank you! That's what I get for being so clumsy

Two other hens started laying today!I know for sure my Ameraucana is one of them but the other two are a mystery

 

[Bob 1313]

Hello everyone I have 7 hens that are now 27 weeks old, I was wondering if they would start laying eggs anytime soon? I live in Canada and it gets cold here, but the coop is isolated and it has a heat lamp with led lights turned on 14 hours a day. I have two polish hens, one orpington, one black cooper maran, one Ameraucana and one plymouth!

I will upload a few pictures of them if it can help! Thank you!

 

[Bob 1313]

Hello everyone I have 7 hens that are now 27 weeks old, I was wondering if they would start laying eggs anytime soon? I live in Canada and it gets cold here, but the coop is isolated and it has a heat lamp with led lights turned on 14 hours a day. I have two polish hens, one orpington, one black cooper maran, one Ameraucana and one plymouth!

I will upload a few pictures of them if it can help! Thank you!

I always worry when I hear about people using heat lamps. We have had more than one bulb explode over the years, which luckily did not cause a fire. That said, every winter there is at least one story on the local news about a coop burning down.
We still use heaters, but some that do not pose a threat of fire.
We rely on just LED bulbs to create the extra hours of daylight".