When will the chickens lay

[Noobi2411]

I have 4 chickens, on Sussex(born June 14th) who is squatting!!! Hopefully meaning she will lay soon and 3 other, what I believe to be Rhode Island Reds(born June 9). No eggs yet but my friend with the same chickens front the same place has had three eggs already. The Sussex is younger but is more developed, bigger comb and waddles and bigger in general, is this normal any of it? It's really stressful waiting dor the first egg!!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is truly a pain waiting on the first egg but your birds are very young and approaching POL (point of lay) when days are getting very short. That is what delays things.
Squatting is a desire to breed and not necessarily a sign that laying is imminent.
Are their combs and wattles getting larger and bright red? That's a sign.
Pick them up and check the distance between the pointy pelvic bones near the vent. There should be at least 2 fingers width there. Otherwise egg laying is impossible.
On a positive note, the longer they take to lay, the larger the first eggs will be and the less chance they have egg laying issues.
I have pullets that just started laying at 27 weeks. Yours aren't there yet. It is closer to 5 months if maturing in the spring but much longer in autumn.

You can kick start them by adding a light on a timer and slowly increasing their day length.

 

[Mrs. K]

Waiting for that first egg takes forever! We have ALL been there!

I agree with ^^post, mine tend to lay about 3-4 weeks after they squat, about the time you have given up all together. Depending on where you are in the world, and the day length, they very well may not lay until mid to late January unless you add some light. I have a pullet that I don't expect eggs from until then. Pullets will lay through the first winter IF they are laying before the short days of December, but in my experience, if they are not laying before that, they wait until January.

I am in South Dakota.

Mrs K

 

[Noobi2411]

Today is my birthday the 24th and they have me a present, a light brown egg, small in size but good enough it must have been from the Sussex, it was awesome!! Great feeling

 

[chickens really]

Congrats!

Happy Birthday!!

Cheers!

 

[Noobi2411]

Congrats!

Happy Birthday!!

e


Cheers!

Thank you so much! Should I eat the egg, or chuck it over the house or feed it to them? Thanks

e

 

[chickens really]

Quote: I would eat it.....Crack it open, fry it up... have a taste.....You have waited long enough!!


Cheers!

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, eat it! So good! The pet that gives you breakfast!

 

[Flock Master64]

My olive Egger started laying between 5-6 months. We got our first egg Monday

 

[aart]

The old 'starting a new thread to complain about lack of onset of lay' works again!!
Congrats!!