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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i have 12 chickens 2 rosters rest hens don’tno the breeds but they are 15 weeks old should they be laying soon and have ardifical light they are 3 to 4 mounths old can they be laying soon
Hi Bishop
Just back from work. Sorry to hear about your favourite hen. I have no experience of hen claw damage so can’t really help. Good idea to consult a vet. Do hope that she picks up quickly.
There are a few things that you can do to stop bullying. Distraction – buy a cheap plastic football and place it in the run. Great to land on but it moves. Who can land and stick on? A cabbage hung so the hens have to leap to access it works wonders.
I spoke with the vet today and he says that since it is just one toe, it is probably a result of recent nerve damage from an injury. This seems backed by the fact that her foot on the one side seems.. narrower? collapsed? up by the metatarsal area. He said brace for 10 days, then check it and see if it has helped. If it still needs more, tape it back up and check it again later. I will do just this and see if it helps my little favorite.
I have been around and raising chickins since I was a kid,62 years old. My family used our 40 or so for food and the eggs. After moveing to our latest residence I was given 5 rosecomb black chicks and one turned out to be a male. We have had chickins since.
Our latest is one outside rosecomb black hen that supplies us with an egg per day when she is not sitting. She is about 3 years old now. She is quite the charactor as she believes she can do as she pleases, and ususlly does. We also have
about 15 scoobby ducks inherited from our neighbors. We also have 4 RIR’s(one rooster), two White Leghorns, and 2 unknown Bantum’s (one rooster). I have the 8 of them in a moveable enclosure about 8″ by 4″ shaped like a triangle on the ends. My latest group were hatched 17 weeks ago and they are looking really nice, no pecking observed, as they are on the ground and I move the whole cage daily throught the yard. This keeps them active looking for grubs and such. I am really appreciative for all the comments regarding the raising of chick’s and I can add that it takes time for them to lay properly. My caged bantums give me one egg every other day sometimes as they are over 2 years old now. I use trimician (sp) every couple of weeks for possible infections, but I need to worm them soon as per your instructions.
Thanks again for your wonderful article.
Ray Foret
We have four cochin cross pullets that we got two at a time a month ago and two months ago. I believe they are about three and a half months old. They all came from the same batch from the same farm. They are beautiful. I noticed a pecking order establish itself quickly when we added our second two. They two birds we had first really came down hard on the cutest, fluffiest bird we have, Apple. She’s by far the most timid, but has come out more and more the longer she’s been with us. Tonight I noticed an obvious limp on her right side. She’s never been a very mobile chicken and has always seemed focused on her feet, but I thought it was just one of her charms. Tonight, after washing and trimming her feathers, I noticed that her third toe on the outside of her right foot is pressed flat against the palm of her foot. There are callouses on the side of the toe and we’re thinking it was a deformity since hatching. She likely would have been fine if she hadn’t developed a little sore next to the toe that seems irritated with walking. I have fitted her with a brace to straighten the toe so it isn’t under the foot. – she can stretch out and curl the toe as normal – perhaps it was broken and mended when she was a chick. I have also wrapped a shield around the afflicted foot so she can not reach the brace with her beak. My question is – Do you believe this method will help her after a while of wearing it, or would you suggest something else?
Hey – we have 10 chickens – – – -5 barred rocks (females), 5 female rhode island red and one “RICKY”. They are 4 1/2 months old. We just started introducing laying pellets this week. Ricky started getting frisky with the ladies and I think he managed to get “happy” once. My question is – – how long are they on laying pellets before they start laying? I see patience is the key …. we’re newbies at this and I just don’t know what to expect.
Thanks!
Good morning all I am so pleased to have found this site .firstly I have 6 chickens 1 rhode island 2 langshan 1 copper morran 1 black leghorn and now one white leghorn (which has replaced a white sussex).The problem is my white sussex died no sign of illness just began to be seperate from the others and not feeding I didnt know if the rest were picking on her I went back to the breeder he could offer no explanation ,I replaced her as said with a white leghorn who is now showing same symtoms, I have seperated her into her own pen and when you approach her she is sprightly the rest of the time she just sits there its really sad to see this, all the others are fine except that egg laying this time has gone down to maybe 1 or 2 eggs a day. The egg laying is the minor problem I want to see a house full of happy chickens again .I hope someone can help thanks Wendy
Thank you every one for your support and the sorrys. We are looking for more chickens right now Buttercup does need someone to help keep her company besides me. Thank you again everyone here on this site is so nice and very helpful. Good luck to everyone!!!
Hi Jonathan thanks for clarifying that for me, most appreciated. Sounds like your girls are been well fed and are getting spoiled rotten!.Ive not tried giving my girls any strawberries but Ill see what they think of them as my chickens are living the good life!.
Hi Lee, the mash would seem to be a mixture of milled grains and supplements and includes maize, field beans, wheat tails, a bit of grit and oil-bearing seeds – a sort of all-in-one feed, if you will. The technical details are on a label stuck to the paper sack it comes in if you need to check. The breeder supplied us with a bag (25 kgs)produced by Marriages, but I bought the last one from Seapets of all places and there is no discernible difference between the two. Expect to pay £8-£10 a bag.
Thanks for the tip on rice and I note with interest a similar suggestion with pasta further back up this thread. I’ve let a couple of last year’s chard plants go straggly and seedy in the veg plot just for the girls and they love it: anything like brassica trimmings, bolted lettuce, the odd manky strawberry, radish tops, broad bean “jackets” or pea stringings are all gratefully received. Trouble is I’m running out of stuff for the compost heap!