Who else is waiting for that first egg?

[TheRobinsons]

My hens are 18 weeks old and have not laid an egg. I have 2 Americaunas, 1 RIR, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Barred Rick, 1 White Leghorn and a Wyandotte. When will they lay? And who will be first?

Hi Holly, We've got one of each breed (Americauna, Buff Orpington, Wyandotte, Astrolorp and a Brahma) and our Americauna was the first to lay last week at 19 weeks old. People have been posting about the "submissive squat" and it's true! Prior to laying our Americauna started rigidly squatting whenever we motioned like we were going to pick her up, normally they just run away. We didn't think much of it, just sort of chuckled at this new odd behaviour but then she started laying. We still didn't associate this new behaviour with her laying until we noticed our Buff Orpington start to do it this week and I've heard a lot of people comment that Buffs mature fast typically and tend to lay earlier than other breeds. And everyone says their combs and waddles go bright red when they are getting ready to lay...well that isn't always true cause our Americauna barely has any of either and it's not red.

Test it out, try to pick each one up and see if they squat for you!

Sarah

 

[holly530]

Hi Holly, We've got one of each breed (Americauna, Buff Orpington, Wyandotte, Astrolorp and a Brahma) and our Americauna was the first to lay last week at 19 weeks old.  People have been posting about the "submissive squat" and it's true! Prior to laying our Americauna started rigidly squatting whenever we motioned like we were going to pick her up, normally they just run away.  We didn't think much of it, just sort of chuckled at this new odd behaviour but then she started laying.   We still didn't associate this new behaviour with her laying until we noticed our Buff Orpington start to do it this week and I've heard a lot of people comment that Buffs mature fast typically and tend to lay earlier than other breeds.  And everyone says their combs and waddles go bright red when they are getting ready to lay...well that isn't always true cause our Americauna barely has any of either and it's not red.  

Test it out, try to pick each one up and see if they squat for you!

Sarah

Thank you Sarah. I will give it a try.

 

[tranel4]

I found this this morning I think it got stepped on. My girls are 16 weeks old guess I need to put the nesting boxes in earlier than I thought.

 

[tranel4]

I noticed a couple days ago one of my jersey giants was squatting down when I would touch her and today I found an egg and today i noticed one of my leghorns is squatting down when I touch her so maybe soon 2 eggs.

 

[UnicornChicken]

I got my first egg on Monday. Mine are sixteen weeks. Yours will start soon!

 

[5lovelyhens]

Here's the order mine began laying in:
Black Sex Link
Barred Rock
Easter Egger
Rhode Island Red
Buff Orpington

 

[chanceymillardo]

When my mother and I got our first egg we were so excited! My mother almost cried because of how happy she was! The excitement of getting your first egg will probably never go away. Lol.

 

[lizardandchicks]

I have decided to join the waiting crew. I have had 7 hens that already started laying. But then 4 of them got attacked, so we got 5 new baby chicks to go under our broody. They are now 13 weeks old. I have a long ways to go. But to entertain my self, I will join this thread. Good luck to all those that are already pretty close!

 

[Kylea0219]

Finally!!!! First egg. I have no idea who layer it. It's a little small but I was so excited when I found it.

 

[WldFlwrs]

Congrats on your first eggs!!!
Isn't it fun? The littlest eggs taste just as good as the big ones. We got our first eggs this week. Even had a double yolked one. And they were all delicious!