When will they start pulling their weight?!

[Lil Chickie Mama]

I have 7 girls- 5 Lav Ameraucanas, 2 bantam brown leghorns and they are all 19 weeks. About a week ago I thought I saw one of the bantam girlies doing the "egg drop dance" but now I think I must have imagined it with wishful thinking. I keep moving all the hay around and I haven't seen any eggs. They aren't interested in the nest boxes we made either which we made a day or two after I witnessed the "dance." I know it can be anywhere from 18 (early) to 23 and up weeks but come on! I think I saw one post of someone who had an Ameraucana lay at 31 weeks

they BETTER not wait that long! Any chicken whisperers available to tell these girls to start? Grrr. What do you think?

 

[gritsar]

I think you need to be a little more patient. They'll get to it soon and IMO late layers actually do better than early layers; less laying issues.

 

[Uppity Peon]

What are their combs looking like? And are they checking out the nest boxes at all?

 

[Dixiedoodle]

Well, I have two true Ameraucanas (26+weeks old) and they haven't laid an egg. I have two EEers and they are 22 weeks old and they are not mature at all either...The combs are not even very pink...they still avoid the roo and he doesn't seem to care about them. No squatting, not egg song--nothing...

I do not have leghorns so I can't help you there..

 

[Maryallison]

Good luck with the eggs. I hope they start to lay for you soon.

 

[ella]

I wholeheartedly second Gritsar. Too much heartbreak treating early prolific layers for peritonitis, egg bind and cancer.

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Quote:
Oy, I didn't know about that! I guess I should just shut my beak and be happy that they are healthy. I've never had chickens before so all I can go by is what I've read. Plus I'm crazy-anxious to get that first egg, I'm going to blow it out and display it in my china cabinet. Oh, and I want to know what color eggs they will lay. I'm more excited than impatient, sorry if I came off bad. My DH is impatient though, he keeps bugging me about it even though he doesn't do anything for them other than occasionally helping me to build something.

Combs? Err, my big girls don't have combs and the big boys have peacombs. The bantam girls have little red single combs and the bantam boys have BIG red single combs. I have seen them checking out the nest boxes, but I haven't caught any sitting in them, just looking in. I just hope that when I do get eggs I'll get a couple color variations. Then I can decide what chickens to get next.

Dixie: thanks for your experience! I emailed the gal I got them from and she doesn't have hers anymore so I didn't know if they were on schedule and healthy or behind or what.