Who else is waiting for that first egg?

[cmonkey]

How pretty! My EE's are 21 wks, no eggs from them yet. Anxious!

They do seem to take some time to start producing regularly and the last few weeks are torture! We haven't gotten any since the first one last Thursday. Must be taking her time on the next .

 

[microchick]

I just found two more eggs in one of the nest boxes. One was the same size and color as the first egg we found yesterday so I'm assuming the same hen laid it. The other was the same size but darker in color so I have a second girl who is now earning her keep.

What is funny is how the roosters have suddenly come to life, chasing the girls, dancing almost continuously around them. I watched the Buff O rooster run himself in circles, dancing for one hen, suddenly seeing another, running over to her, dancing...oh LOOK! another hen! So he runs over to her then sees the hen he just left, runs back to her....poor boy is running himself ragged, especially when the new alpha Welsummer rooster keeps knocking him off the object of his desire. Can't fault him for being enthusiastic.

Somehow they sense that the hens have reached maturity and it's time to spread those genes around and perpetuate the species.

Question. How long does it take for the eggs to reach normal size?

 

[junebuggena]

It takes at least a couple months or so for most pullets to start laying larger eggs. They may never lay grocery store sized eggs though. The eggs will get a bit bigger after each molt.

 

[Katrina113]

So on Friday, I saw an ad that had eggs at a really good sale price. Since my girls haven't produced yet, I called the hubby. His eggsact (ha ha) words were "Why would I want you to pick up eggs when I have a chicken that is laying them?!"

We have been gifted with one egg each day since.

We were debating, and should have started a pool, as to which one was laying first. Neither of us guessed one of my New Hampshire Reds - we've seen her in her box once. The other days, perhaps a mystery.

One less freeloader, and maybe she'll show the others how it's done!

 

[Katrina113]

Almost forgot! NHR, Sex link and Barred Rock are at 18 weeks, my RIR at 17.

 

[junebuggena]

Almost forgot! NHR, Sex link and Barred Rock are at 18 weeks, my RIR at 17.

Sexlinks are the most likely to lay a bit early. They are still pretty young at 18 weeks. The one with the biggest, reddest comb/wattles is likely the one laying.

 

[Creekside Farm]

I am now at 50%! 2 of the 4 are finally laying good sized eggs. The other 2 are still small. We have B Australorps, SLW and GLW. They started at 20, 21, and 22 weeks. I started oyster shell at 18 weeks, they ate it up at first and now just pick. I put 3 golf balls in a box at 18 weeks also. The first egg came from a 21 week old hen. We do not have a rooster. If you don't either, try this: with your smart phone, pull up rooster crowing videos. Play a few for your girls. I did it and had an egg 2 days later. Coincidence? Maybe? Maybe not. Either way, it was fun messing with them and watching their reaction. Let us know if it worked for you.

 

[Oliver Douglas]

22 weeks and still nothing. I think I got the laziest chickens on earth. All they do is cluck, eat, and poop. Emphasis on the poop thing. Put out an old dog carrier as a nesting box, filled it with pine shavings, and put two golf balls in it to give them a clue...they eat the shavings. Must have gotten shaken up in the shell before delivery. Any good recipes out there?

Each bird has cost me over $100 each since we got them. Three layabout Barred Rocks....

 

[chickendreams24]

Still waiting quite impatiently lol but what can ya do? Just feels like I've been waiting forever.
We have;
4- 15 week isa brown pullets
1- 15 week golden Laced sebright pullet
4- 14 week silver Laced wyandotte pullets(hopefully all pullets there's still one I'm a tenny bit iffy on but I think she'd be obvious by now)
5- 13.5 week buff Orpingtons pullets
4- 13.5 week EE pullets
1- 11.5 week barred cochin pullet
1- 11.5 week self blue oegb
And an unknown number(out of 6) of 11.5 week silkie pullets

DH2B and I have been joking that we're going to squeeze eggs out of our girls if they don't get their acts in order before too long. As eggs around here(like what seems to be everywhere else too.) have spiked to 2.50$ a dozen from 0.99$ and even more than that. Of course we aren't going to squeeze our girls lol but as we have a total of 30 including cockerals it would be nice if they started laying as we plan on selling surplus eggs and we already have buyers lined up.

 

[microchick]

Oliver Douglas it's like having a baby. It'll happen when it happens. But I know how you feel. My husband asked me how many dozen eggs we could buy with the money that we have invested in our baker's dozen of hens. I didn't even want to think about that so I countered with, "But when these hens start laying, we will know what they have eatten,(everything short of fillet mignon fixed by a master chef) how they have been treated, (with all the pampered privilege George Lucas's kids must enjoy) and we will enjoy those eggs knowing that they aren't filled full of hormones or antibiotics." He couldn't argue with that.

And when I brought in our two new mini eggs today he said. "Crap, we just bought eggs......"

Yep, God really does have a sense of humor.