Who else is waiting the impossible wait?

[itsachicken]

I'm dying over here! My better half is fairly convinced that I screwed up and bought chickens that won't lay eggs! My four girls are only 19 wks this weekend, but two of them are sex links and they're the least mature looking when I had thought they'd be "blossoming" soonest. The Australorp has (fairly)big red wattles and the buff orpington has the biggest comb. The two sex links, a cinnamon queen and a BSL have no wattles and not even a blush of pink in their combs. I'm getting so keyed up about the first egg that I may have it cryogenically preserved.

 

[CCFarms9559]

Mine are 17 weeks and nothing yet. Hung my nesting boxes today. Do wooden eggs really help? Only one is getting red wattles & comb. All others are pink and small - except my one "hen" that grew into a roo. I think I am still a couple of weeks away...

 

[heksa]

I have three 15 week olds. No eggs yet.

What are the signs that they are about to start laying?

I've noticed my Dominique has developed quite impressive wattles, and her comb turned quite red. The other's combs seem reder as well. I'm not sure about squatting. What else should I look for (besides eggs). Is it time to start feeding layer food or giving oyster shells? Or should I wait for that first egg?

This is my very first chicken experience.

 

[JOSEYWALES]

Got some 19 week old girls. Nothing yet. They have been acting funny lately so I must be getting close!

 

[CCFarms9559]

I switched mine to layer this week (17 weeks old) and through some oyster shell in their outside pen. The feed store guy said they will eat it as they need it. They have eaten some so he must be right. Still waiting on eggs though..

 

[itsachicken]

LOL @ BryanT's signature--
"The only thing funnier than watching a chicken running with a worm being chased by 4 chickens in an attempt to steal the worm is watching a chicken running with something and being chased by 4 chickens that discover what the first is carrying is something none of the 5 want."

I did actually laugh out loud. There is, however, something funnier--a chicken going up (or down) steps in a hurry.

 

[chickenprincess92]

I just checked on my chickens a little bit ago, they are kind of snooping around the nest box. They havent gone in the nest box yet though. Sigh still waiting.

 

[Morgan7782]

LOL I have a 5 month old Dark Brahma and a 15 week old Barred Rock neck in neck for bets on who will lay first! I am waiting waiting waiting but nobody's face has turned red yet, still very pink.

 

[bsruther]

We got our first eggs today. We have 5 white rock hens that are 20 weeks old. My wife kept telling me to check the nesting boxes and I kept telling her we wouldn't have eggs until late august, at the earliest. Well, today I went out to check they're water and when I opened the door, one of the hens was sitting in the nesting box. After she got up, I opened the nesting box door and there were 8 eggs in there. As she was leaving the coop, she let out a big "bwock buhcawk". I have no idea how long they've been laying, but I figure it's probably been no more than a week. Most of them were small, one of them was medium to large and one had a double yolk.
There was enough to make a big cheese omelet for the wife and I.
I'll be checking it every day now. Hopefully we're done buying eggs, for a long time.

 

[chickenprincess92]

I dont really know what the egg song sounds like does anyone else know?