Who else is waiting the impossible wait?

[Sweetpeaswan]

Hey C&C Hang in there!!!! My girls were hatched the first week of March, and I felt they were late.
be patient and they will come

 

[HHandbasket]

Well one of the things I've discovered since I got my chickens back in May is that all this business about chickens laying at "around 20 weeks" is kind of subjective. In going to the feed stores and farmer's markets locally and talking to a number of other chicken keepers, the general consensus is that I am being impatient and that with the exception of a few breeds, it is extremely rare for most laying hens to produce an egg before the age of 6 to 7 months. So if your birds were hatched anytime in March, you could be waiting as much as another month. I am also told that if they do not lay before the 1st frost, they won't lay until the following spring.

My leghorn is out in the henhouse right now singing her head off SO LOUD I could hear her from all the way up here in the house with the door closed and the water running in the sink. Could it be I'll have an egg today?? She's an almost 21-week-old leghorn--purportedly was supposed to start laying about a month ago (leghorns generally start at 15-18 weeks, or so I have been told & they are one of the few breeds that do lay before the age of 6 months). I got her specifically because she supposedly would start laying at about 16 weeks. Well, she was 6 weeks old when I got her, and she's been here 15 weeks as of tomorrow, so what do I know? LOL!

I have read stories on here, though, of people having barred rocks and EEs and RIRs laying at anywhere from 18 to 22 weeks. Maybe it has something to do with what part of the country one lives in and the different climates, etc.? I dunno, all I know is that every single chicken keeper I've talked to at the farmer's market, in local feed stores (including one fella that's been raising RIRs and NHRs for 40 years), and a few I met last weekend at a poultry auction have all told me to stop being so impatient and not to expect any eggs before the birds get about 6-7 months old. I may have another month or so to wait, so I've stopped doing the egg check 5 times a day and only do it twice--in the morning when i let them out, and in the evening when I put them away in the henhouse. And even, then, it's not a "serious" egg check... kinda more like "just in case".

In the interim, I'm having fun spoiling my chooks and hanging out with them in the yard. They are great and awesome pets! Who ever woulda thought I would fall so in love with these dang birds?? hehehe.

 

[HathawayHens]

Our pullets are about 22 weeks now... Harriet is doing the squat, and today she went back into the nest box for a little while while the others were out ranging... but I just checked and she is back out and about, and still no egg in there...

Anyone know how long it should be now?? She is an EE... the other three are an EE, a Buff Orp, and a RIR...

 

[chickerdoodle]

My girls will be 21 weeks on Sunday. My BR, Beatrice, has been squatting a few days now but low and behold Poppy, one of my Speckled Sussex pullets, was singing a very loud egg song yesterday!! She repeated it at least twice--more likely 3 times by the time I ran out to see who it was. I was not suspecting her but she has gotten a little darker red comb and wattles lately. Beatrice, the BR has not sung the egg song as far as I know.

The twist is our vacation starts Saturday and I'm even more afraid my house sitter will find the first eggs instead of us

 

[chickenprincess92]

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!! I GOT AN EGG!!!!! MY FRIEND RILEY WAS OVER AND SHE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY!!! I started screaming!!!

Yeah!!!!!!!! I am almost crying!

 

[CarolAnn]

I got my second egg this morning!!!!! Laid by one of my 17 wk old Blk Sex Links. Another of my BLS's has been of scooting around in a nest but one of the other girls pecked her and she jumped out. Also have a BO trying out a nest. She looked like she was having contractions but then she got out and has been walking around chattering a lot. They had me walk the halls when I was in hard labor with my first. I know how she feels. lol

I'm trying to down load some pics but have a time of it. Was so easy last time. Grrr

This is my first egg. Pretty small compared to golf ball but a good show for her first.

Here comes that second egg!! Hope this doesn't make anyone puke. I was thrilled seeing this myself. Wow, makes me appreciate every egg from now on!

Second egg, laid this morning. It's a beauty, ain't it? I watched this one being laid, and got pics. About same size as the first that was laid Wed. And did she SING after she left the nest!!!!! Woo hoo!! That was a thrill for me!!! And the cochin roo mimicked her the whole time!!!

And this is the girl that laid my second/her first egg this morning.

I've seen three others arranging in the nest since the second egg was laid. Hopefully they'll come today.

 

[countrygirl911]

wow congrats on the eggs 4 of mine are turning 19 weeks and no eggs yet and the other 5 are turning 17 or 18 weeks old i also have 1 roo 19 weeks old and 8 little ones that are 5 weeks this weekend. I am so ready for that first egg can not wait. seems like i have a while to wait none of them as of now and what i can see are not doing any squats yet so the wait continues. Is it ok to start the oyster shell now or wait to after the first egg which i hope is very soon

 

[CarolAnn]

Hi, I just put oyster shell and grit out for mine this week. And I switched to the layer feed this week too. Introducing it with the last 4th of this bag of starter. I got the pellets, which weren't as big as I thought they were. I was standing in the feed section of the feed store the other day and a gentleman came along to get exactly what i was looking at. I told him I was just reading the label wondering about the pellets. He said the pellets aren't very big at all and his chickens love it. I said thanks for the info and would he mind hefting the 50# bag into my cart. He was happy to help out. Nice people everywhere! He was right, they aren't very big and my girls are taking to it fine.

 

[Alpha Chick]

Quote:
Congratulations Chicken Princess !!!! Now you need to take a picture and post it here. We are delighted that your wait is over, well at least over for 1 chicken.

 

[buckabucka]

Congratulations chickenprincess!!!!!

You got quite the egg laying photos, CarolAnn! I've never actually seen an egg come out (although I am new at this).

I think you are right, HHandbasket, that 6 months or longer is more normal. At least that is what my friend who's had chickens for years told me to expect. I didn't know that leghorns start earlier, which would explain my first egg at just beyond 17 weeks. She is the only one who has laid, and I've never seen any squatting. Today, she was pacing and acting anxious, so I thought we might get a second egg. I could not wait for her, - I was going to be late for work. My DH went looking, and discovered another chicken running outside with something in her mouth, and it turned out to be this tiny fart egg! I'm glad he found it before someone pecked it and discovered that eggs are delicious.

Robin