Who else is waiting the impossible wait?

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

My first ones started at 19.5 weeks, and I don't think they have all started laying yet and now they are about 21 weeks.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Put it in water. If it floats, it's bad.

 

[Want Less]

Mine will be 20 weeks this week and still no eggs... checking every day! What a test of patience

 

[CallyB57]

The last batch of chicks I bought are Welsummers, EE's, a Cuckoo Maran and a Barnevelder (2 of the Barnevelders were dead in the box when I got them at the PO

). They hatched on March 1 and I received them on March 3. No eggs yet, and they are almost 21 weeks old, but a few of them have pinked up and some have red wattles, comb, lobes. A couple of the girls are hanging around in the henhouse inspecting the nesting boxes and watching the older hens who already lay eggs. I figure some of the younger girls will start laying after another week has passed. I had to put the whole flock on regular feed because the younger girls were not ready for Layena, so just spread a lot of oyster shell around the pen so the older ones could take it free choice. Now I have put them all on Layena and the eggshells are firming up well again - some of the older girls laid a few leather-shelled eggs while off the Layena. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some dark brown spotted eggs to show up in the nests from the new girls. I try not to expect any of them to lay until they are better than 22 wks so I won't be disappointed every day when I gather eggs that the older hens are laying. There is nothing like those first eggs, so I know how anxious you are, but the day you get some eggs you'll forget all about being disappointed when you couldn't find one in the nest...it will be a day for celebration!

 

[CallyB57]

Quote:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

 

[harveyhorses]

It is BEAUTIFUL!

My girls are 18 weeks, and I am trying to tell myself in this heat don't even think about it any time soon, a week of close to 100.

I just put the nest boxes in this weekend, but they have not gone into the coop at all in this weather. They roost on top of it

I do not know how I ever got along without them.

 

[LicketyChickety]

My little girl starting laying at 6 months, incidentally after a week of being fed nothing but fat worms, crickets AND the egg laying feed of course. Good luck!!!!!! There is nothing like that first egg. It will happen, hang in there.

 

[2dogs1cat]

4 of mine are 21 weeks today and the other is 19 weeks.

The Andalusian has been quite squaky lately, I sometimes wonder if she is a roo with all the commotion she makes *lol* She has the biggest and reddest comb and wattles of the group. Noticed that the BO and SS are starting to get redder in the face. My EE is a lagger

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

4 of our 6 sex-links began laying 7/14 thru 7/21 when they were 16/17 wks old. I collected 4 eggs the last 3 days so they appear to have the routine down pat. Maureen and Lucille are the slackers. Maureen is doing the squat but Lucille does not...both have a red face.

Dolly is OCD when it comes to getting her egg laid. She starts 4 to 6 hours before she lays with the pacing and egg song...Lordy, the girl is skin and bones from all the running and pacing she does! When the others get in the nest boxes before she does, she gets in with them and even stands on them!

Ann-Margaret took an hour this morning in the nest box; finally stood up and looked at the egg between her feet.

None have made a single sound when they lay the egg. All of them pace and do the egg song but no celebration song. All of the sex-links are outside the nest boxes while someone is trying to get their egg laid.

When our girls do the 'squat', they 'submit' to DH and me...we put our hand on their back like a rooster - when we remove our hand they shake their feathers and get up.

The 5 BO's are 16 wks old and still very pale but some have been checking the nest boxes out...one did the squat when I walked by her last week.

The 5 SLW's and 3 BR's are 15 wks old and are interested in the nest boxes but don't think they are ready...not much red on their faces and no squat. The 3 EE's have shown no interest at all in the nest boxes and not a single squat...no red on the faces.

So far the eggs have been great...very good eggshells and the eggs we ate last week were very nice.

 

[chicken stick]

i have 1 laying 1 egg a day and 2 others laying 1 every other day. waiting for 2 ee i want blue eggs............