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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my girls in the past have laid very well till this winter chocolate as allways been a good layer
but when she started moulting. they all whent of the lay nigela and basil are the trouble makers
ginger and foo foo started getting funny and then the pecking order changed in come t rex and nothing in the egg department is happening we are in our winter in south australia and im at my witts end hopping im doing the right thing for my girls these are all pets as well my grand children loves em to death as do we all I would like to wish my fellow chook lovers all the best on the other side of the world.hope you can help yogi.
Hi Jane
Like us some hens just don’t do the ‘work’ we expect. Give them a bit of slack. That’s just how they are.
It’s disappointing but hens are all different. You are lucky if you get an egg a day hen. Treasure those hens but don’t sign off the others – they might be great broodies or might come into regular lay at a later date. A good mix is what you want, ideally.
Every POL hybrid hen does not necessarily lay an egg a day.
You need to think carefully about your hens. If you need an egg a day from every hen, pass the slower hens to another home now and knock your layers on the head at 2 years old (egg laying generally diminishes after this date).
If you just want to keep hens and enjoy their eggs it™s a different story. Carol is 3 and giving us an egg a day during the summer months. The rest of the flock is 4 years old, happily laying on and off.
We don™t have a commercial venture so the hens are under no pressure.
We have 4 Warrens and 2 Light Sussex chickens bought in February of this year. We are getting on average 4 eggs a day. We can’t understand why the Light Sussex have laid every day, apart from a week when one was broody, and yet the Warrens are not as regular. We seem to have one Warren laying every day and three Warrens laying once every three days. I always thought that that the hybrid chooks laid more regularly. It doesn’t seem to be the case in our small flock! The Light Sussexand 1 Warren seem to be doing the work for the rest. Ultimately they are pets but does this mean that the Warrens might lay for longer because they are not laying intensively? They are fed organically and have regular fresh veg. Ideas would be appreciated. Many thanks, Jane.
Hi,
One of our hens has been acting strangely! She is about 30 weeks old and has been a regular layer since 20 weeks, but over the last week I have found a few of her feathers of hers on the ground and for the last two days she has not laid. Otherwise looks fit and healthy enough, and although she spent one day monopolising the nest, she has spent the last two days ranging around as usual. Has she gone broody, or is it because she has moulted a little that she has gone off laying?
Our bantam has only just come out of broodiness so perhaps the behaviour is being copied?
Any advice or ideas would be great, thanks.
Hello Helen
Yes it’s normal for eggs from the same hen to vary in colour. I don’t know why this is but perhaps someone else can shed light on this conundrum.
The eggs that we are getting are changing in colour daily. I am keeping a close eye on which hen is laying. I have 2 light sussex and 1 speckled sussex. One day the egg is darker than it is another day is this normal. thanks
Helen xxx
Hi Sarah
I think that it’s just a matter of time on the laying front. Watch for their combs to turn dark red, this is a good sign.
I am no expert but I wouldn’t worry overmuch about the poo unless it continues for a few days.
Make sure that they have fresh water every day, particularly in warm weather.
Sorry not to be more helpful.
Sorry typo they are 6 months
hi
I have 5 light suss cross RIRed, They are about ^ months and no sign of any eggs also at least one has a rather runny orangey poo, is this ok or should i do something about it they seem quite healthy, eating well and i give them vermx and cider vinegar once a month. any ideas?
thanks
Hi Amanda
I reckon it’s just a matter of time before your Black Rocks start laying. Not all breeds come into lay at the same time. By the sound of it – colour of the combs etc you won’t have to wait long.
Good luck with your bantie – hope that you get some chicks.
Hi Travis
Wow you are getting quite a big flock now! Those barred rcks sound like a great deal.
Love my hens too!
Hi Dee
Sometimes hens go off lay for no apparent, particular reason. If Posh has started to go broody she will take a while to get back into egg laying mode. A broody hen can put others of lay too.
Don’t know about the feathers. Are they feather pulling? Why not try supplementing their diet with some greens and adding a little cod liver oil to their feed? Moulting usually happens in the Autumn.
Hi Lou
When a hen stops laying it’s easiest to cure the condition by putting her in an anti broody coop in the vicinity of the run. This causes the least disruption to her and the rest of the flock. Instructions on making an anti broody coup, quickly and easily are here https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=289
Meanwhile, it will only be a matter of time before your hens start laying again. You just have to be patient.