When will my chickens lay eggs?
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Chickens | 661 comments
Even though I know that egg laying is unpredictable at this time of year, it’s always a bit disappointing when I lift the lid of the nesting box and there’s only one. An egg from Carol. She is firing on all cylinders now and producing one egg a day, the maximum that a domestic hen can produce.
“What’s going on with the other four chickens?” I think as I stump back through the garden in my dressing gown and wellies.
The other four chickens are elderly maidens, well into their third year. I know that after two years egg production diminishes but somehow I hoped that the organic food and beautiful adornments in the pen might make a difference. Of course they don’t. As the years roll by, the chickens will produce fewer and fewer eggs until they go to that great pecking ground in the sky.
The pretty white bantams, have never been very obliging on the egg laying front. In their prime, they probably only laid two or three eggs a week. They are not a laying strain and we knew this when we bought them. But we have discovered that they are very photogenic and are happy to model endlessly.
I’ve been checking the hen’s combs. A pink comb indicates that a chicken is going broody, and will not lay. They are all a bright vibrant red, including Mrs Boss (this chicken won The Broodiest of all Known Chickens Award 2004, 2005 and 2006).
So you can imagine my delight when I lifted the roof of the nesting box this morning and found two small eggs nestling beside Carol’s large speckled brown one. I sprang back to the kitchen to make the perfect breakfast omelette.
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Hi,
May two bantams have stopped laying as well. The one went broody and sat on both their eggs. I removed them and locked her out of the pen over a week ago, but now neither hen is laying!!!! Not sure what to do???
have 2 black rocks been really good layers for ages – posh started going broody last week but we just kept her out of the nesting box and she seems back to normal although she stands outside the kitchen door and wants attention and food all the time (especially fond of spaghetti)- follows me everywhere – worse than the dog!! but still no eggs from her or baby (yes they are the spice girls – the fox got ginger and scary!) could they be moulting? they are looking a little ragged round the edges
Well I’m glad she’s ok. The eggs are huge and I keep those for myself instead of selling hers. She’s laying daily 3-4 days in a row, then off a day, then back to daily again. I got 11 2-3 year old Barred Rock hens the other day. The guy just wanted $2.00 each, they are very fat and healthy. They are laying about every other day. So pretty..but I better stop now, up to 48 birds total.
hi got 6 goldlines end of march 20wks old they started laying within 2 weeks got 12 black rocks at the same time they were 14 wks they are now 24 weeks and are still not laying any advice all black rocks gone really red now got 4 banties and 2 cockrals at same time one silkie gone broody so put her in a rabbit hutch alone with some eggs on friday and hoping for the best
Any advice is much appreciated
All hens are free range and only locked away at night
Hi Travis
The lines on the egg are a sign of an older hen. There is nothing wrong with the eggs (or the hen) they are fine to eat but just wouldn’t win prizes!
Glad to hear that the pullets are going well.
Hi Matt
They may start laying over the winter months but will really get into their stride once the days start getting longer again.
We bought some point of lay hens towards the end of the summer and started to get eggs a couple of weeks after the days started to get longer again.
It would be interesting to hear when they do start laying.
Hi,
We just bought 3 Isa Browns at 20 weeks old. I built them a palace of a coop. 7 meters long with a 1.5 meter enclosed area with three nesting boxes.
Im over in Australia and we are heading into winter now and we have about 10 hours of daylight. Is it unrealistic to expect eggs given their age and it being winter with 10 hours of daylight.
Cheers
Hello again everyone. Pullets not laying yet, but combs getting redder every day. I do have another question. I have an older healthy Barneveld hen that is laying huge eggs and have etched lines all around them. The shells are hard, but just have the lines. These eggs are so long I can’t even close the egg carton over them. Could the etched lines be due to the large size of the eggs or could something be wrong?
Hi Jane
Sorry I skipped your comment.
Great to hear that peace has been restored.
Good move to put the anti broody coop in the run. This is ideal if you have the space.
Thanks so much for the update.
Hi Emma
Ideally you introduce a couple of new birds to an established flock. This gives them a ‘friend’.
The new hen will be picked on. Especially if she is smaller. There is nothing that you can do to change the status quo. There is always a place at the top and the bottom of the pecking order.
What you can do is distract the other hens. A football gives hours of amusement and a cabbage hung high enough for the birds to have to jump a little to reach it is another good distraction.
Provide alternative shelter, even if this is just in the day. A simple wooden crate on its side with a plastic sheet on the roof (bantams are delicate) might give your new hen the solace she will need.
Why not look out for another frizzle bantam to join her?
Hi all,
We are giving a home to a frizzle bantam, hopefully arriving this week. Already we have 3 lovely hybrid layers who are about 6 months old and doing really well. Can anyone offer any advice re settling in a newcomer to the flock? Especially as she will be a smaller bird, I would obviously like to minimise any bullying.
Any tips or experiences shared would be most welcome.
Thanks, emma.