When will they start laying?

[Macchickenman]

I am a new chicken lover and I have a black Australorp, a Buff Orpington, an Americana and a cream leg bar all about four months old. Thoughts about when they will start laying?

 

[Ducklover108]

I am a new chicken lover and I have a black Australorp, a Buff Orpington, an Americana and a cream leg bar all about four months old. Thoughts about when they will start laying?

They have to be about six months old to start laying...good luck! ☺

 

[EggWalrus]

I am a new chicken lover and I have a black Australorp, a Buff Orpington, an Americana and a cream leg bar all about four months old. Thoughts about when they will start laying?

The Buff and the Australian Orpingtons should start laying about 5 to 6 months old. Your Ameraucana (EE) may take longer. 6-9 months maybe. Never had any Legbars, so there ain't no dang telling. But you'll find they will start to lay when their bodies mature enough, it also depends on the strain. Some lay earlier, some later. Just try to have patience, you'll be up to your eyes in eggs and even giving them away before you know it.

 

[New2Chicks97]

Our girls are 5 1/2 months and almost all of them are laying now even the Easter Eggers. We had 11 eggs from our 12 girls so either one still isn’t laying or they took a day off. Either way you should be getting closer to eggs

 

[ChickNanny13]

RED combs/wattles = prepping the egg making machine
Squatting = Getting really close to laying
Checking to see who's laying = pelvic check

What are you feeding them?
When they start laying, good to have Oyster Shells available for them in a separate dish. Is the nest box ready?
Are they showing any interest?

CHICKEN - Who’s Laying
Who is Laying.....and Who is Not? Butt Check!
By aart | Learning Center

1. I've typed this out many times in the past few days,
   so decided to put it in an article so I can link it in responses.
   
   Got pullets newly laying and not sure who is laying and who is not?
   Under the tail will tell the true tale, so part those fluffy feathers and take a look!
   Yeahyeah, might sound gross, butt(haha) it's good thing to learn how to do.
   Might not tell you who is laying what, gotta catch 'em in the 'hot egged' act for that,
   but if you start early and every time time you find a tiny new egg,
   do the butt check to see who the new layer is,
   and it might tell you who is laying what.
   
   Vent Appearance:
   Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
   Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.
   
   Pelvic Points, feel for the 2 bony points(pelvic bones F-F) on either side of vent:
   Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
   More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.
   (Spacing is relative with chickens size and humans finger size.)
   
   
   
   Other new layers notes:
   New layers can be quite goofy acting, they don't know what they are doing at first and can be confused and anxious, it can take up to a month or so before they get it all figured out. Putting some fake eggs or golf balls in the nest might help show them where to lay. They may scratch around in the nests for weeks before laying, spreading the bedding everywhere. They will scratch around a bit less in nest as they get used to the routine. Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.
   
   Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points(see above) to be the most accurate.
   
   Squatting:
   If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
   Tho not all birds will do this, especially if there's a cockbird in the flock.
   This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.
   
   Combs and Wattles:
   Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
   Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.
   Tho I have found that the combs and wattles can look full and red one minute then pale back out the next due to exertion or excitement, can drive ya nuts when waiting for a pullet to lay!

 

[Acre4Me]

I hav 3 Black Australorps and 2EEs, along with a few other full size breeds for a total of 12 pullets and 2 males. They are all 22 weeks old today (hatch date: Feb 28). We started getting 1 brown egg one month ago on an every 2nd or 3rd day basis. Currently, only 6 of the pullets are laying, and the first layer (at 18 weeks) may have been the Black Australorp or the Silver Laced Wyandotte. One EE laid her first egg 1 week ago and the other EE laid her first egg 2 days ago. Overall, the Black Australorps Developed red combs and wattles on the earlier side (with the silver laced Wyandotte being the first to get the most obvious red comb).

FWIW, we also have one Black Jersey Giant female of the same age and she looks nowhere near laying ... she has only a very slight hint of pink on her face, and hasn’t even showed any interest in the nest box or the oyster shell,so I’m going to guess another couple of months at the very least!

 

[aart]

Thoughts about when they will start laying?

Short answer.....When they are darn well and ready!
Seriously tho.....typical onset of lay for most breeds is 18-26 weeks.
Diet, time of year, and breed can make a difference....
....but mostly it's maturity of hormone flow that will make it happen and all birds are different.

Who’s Laying
Who is Laying.....and Who is Not? Butt Check!

Really needs the pics...here's the link to the article so you can get the full effect:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Chicksnmind]

Mine are 25.5 weeks old and no eggs yet . I have a EE, 2silkies and a d uccle. I think we are getting close though ..my EE kept going back into the coop yesterday to check out the boxes and my d’uccle following behind. Still no eggs .

 

[ChickNanny13]

Short answer.....When they are darn well and ready!
Seriously tho.....typical onset of lay for most breeds is 18-26 weeks.
Diet, time of year, and breed can make a difference....
....but mostly it's maturity of hormone flow that will make it happen and all birds are different.

Really needs the pics...here's the link to the article so you can get the full effect:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Ooops, thought the pic followed my copy/paste. Thank you aart