Who else is waiting for that first egg?

[nickdlny]

I got this young lady . She's 14 weeks old and I'm guessing she'll be my first to make an egg. Bright red but no squatting yet. Anticipation is killing me

 

[TheRobinsons]

My Olive Egger (Black Copper Marans x EE) laid her 1st egg four weeks ago when she was only 18 wks old! She already gave me one double yolked egg so far and has layed about 5-6 eggs per week since she started

I also have an older Legbar cross who is now 25 weeks old and has yet to lay a single egg

She is significantly smaller in size compared to my Olive Egger, does anybody know if smaller breeds have a slower start in producing eggs? They've both been on the same organic feeds as long as i've had them and free range together every day, but I got the Olive Egger at 2 days old and the Legbar at 5 wks. Maybe diet in the early chick stage could affect egg production later on?

Lastly, I have two younger pullets, a 12 wk old Cream Legbar and a 14 wk old Cuckoo Marans, who I got at 2 weeks old and 4 weeks old respectively. I figure I still have another couple months before I can expect to find these two girls laying any eggs

To answer one of your questions, I don't think size has much to do with egg production per say. We have 5 different breeds (Brahma, Buff Orpington, Ameracauna, Silver Laced Wyandotte and Black Astrolorp) and our smallest with the least developed comb and waddle has layed first at 19 weeks, Marion our Ameracauna. I pegged her as the last to lay but she fooled us. If your chickens all eat the same food I figure the only variable is their breed and biological make up Could their be a chance since you free range them daily that your Legbar cross has laid out in a bush somewhere and you've overlooked it or it was stolen by a rodent!?

 

[Dangaloo]

I wondered if she might be hiding them somewhere so I started keeping them in their run most of the day and only letting them out to free range in the late afternoon/evening. She hasn't even shown much interest in the nest box, I've only seen her explore it once. There have also been a few long weekends when I left town for 3-4 days so they were confined while I was gone and she didn't lay anywhere in the coop or run during those times either. She has a really big floppy red comb and wattles so I'd think she had reached maturity. She's just a late bloomer I guess

 

[Dangaloo]

I wondered if she might be hiding them somewhere so I started keeping them in their run most of the day and only letting them out to free range in the late afternoon/evening. She hasn't even shown much interest in the nest box, I've only seen her explore it once. There have also been a few long weekends when I left town for 3-4 days so they were confined while I was gone and she didn't lay anywhere in the coop or run during those times either. She has a really big floppy red comb and wattles so I'd think she had reached maturity. She's just a late bloomer I guess

To answer one of your questions, I don't think size has much to do with egg production per say. We have 5 different breeds (Brahma, Buff Orpington, Ameracauna, Silver Laced Wyandotte and Black Astrolorp) and our smallest with the least developed comb and waddle has layed first at 19 weeks, Marion our Ameracauna. I pegged her as the last to lay but she fooled us. If your chickens all eat the same food I figure the only variable is their breed and biological make up Could their be a chance since you free range them daily that your Legbar cross has laid out in a bush somewhere and you've overlooked it or it was stolen by a rodent!?

I wondered if she might be hiding them somewhere so I started keeping them in their run most of the day and only letting them out to free range in the late afternoon/evening. She hasn't even shown much interest in the nest box, I've only seen her explore it once. There have also been a few long weekends when I left town for 3-4 days so they were confined while I was gone and she didn't lay anywhere in the coop or run during those times either. She has a really big floppy red comb and wattles so I'd think she had reached maturity. She's just a late bloomer I guess

 

[TheRobinsons]

Interesting...yeah, my girls didn't show any interest in their nesting box until the "appointed hour". I'm sure it'll be any day now, make sure to post a pic of the egg when she finally lays!

 

[kristaschics15]

Mine are 12 weeks old and yup I'm waiting! Lol

 

[cmbookworm]

The RIR hens we recently added to our flock have been pretty consistently laying since they arrived and now one of our Buff Orpingtons has joined the egg laying brigade! Waiting on the other 3 buffs to catch up, but we're on a roll now! So exciting!

 

[Dmad]

Just got my first EE egg this week! They were almost 5 months old and free range for most of the day.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Just got my first EE egg this week! They were almost 5 months old and free range for most of the day.

Congrats - I know we were all so excited at the first "pretty" egg's arrival as this is these were the first EE I've ever had in my flocks.

 

[chickenewbee]

I can see how that would be quite a distraction.

Maybe the hen lost her train of thought......