when will they start laying?

[richje100]

Hi,

ive made a few posts on here and everyone is soooo helpful & speedy in replying.

ive got 4 rhode island reds, approx 15wks old now (was 13wks when i bought them). they are still pooing in their nests but as far as i know they are not sleeping in there. ive put wood shavings scattered on the roost bar & in the morning the bar is clean.

ive now switched to using shredded paper (non toxic print on there) and putting a few big handfuls in the nests & scattering some over the floor.
when will they start to lay?
is it normal to poo in the nests. admittadly its not loads but its noticable.
also, one of the 4 is more forward than the others, he will eat out of my hand. will the others be as forward later? maybe follow his lead so to speak?

thanks guys

 

[kim.home]

My chickens poo all the time, everywhere. It wouldn't be weird to me to find poo anywhere. They won't sleep in the nests, they will roost somewhere and (maybe so maybe not) lay the egg there. My girls lay wherever they darn well please, most of the time in the same couple of places, but I don't even have nest boxes. Mine started laying around 20-21 weeks, which is normal, from what I read.

 

[anir dendroica]

It varies by breed, but 18-20 weeks seems reasonable. Our RIRs were born at the beginning of August and we got our first eggs around Christmas. Our hens all poo in the boxes, but as our boxes are a bit long they sometimes roost toward the front and nest toward the back. All six of our hens generally pick the same box to lay in, and so long as that is the "laying box" they refrain from pooing in it. When we clean the boxes and add new straw, they often start laying in a different box.