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,
I’m a bit of a newbie to chickens. I decided to transform a triple dog kennel that had only ever been used to hang washing in, into a chicken house. They’ve got lots of ventilation and I can close the shuttered openings and sides whenever necessary, i.e. at night or when is crashing down with rain.
I’ve got a Bluebell, a Sussex Star and 2 Black Rocks. Bluebell (that’s her name too) is laying about 3 eggs a week, Star has laid one egg but the Black Rocks haven’t laid yet. Bluebell and Star are 25 weeks and the Black Rocks 21 weeks. Guess I’ll have to be patient for their eggs!!
I’m using Aubiose for the nesting box/baskets and wood chips for the floor, but that’s a bit costly and am looking for somewhere to get wood shavings from as the baled kind bought at agricultural shops is a bit expensive.
Does anyone have any suggestions. Can you also answer some questions for me please?
1. How often do you change the floor shavings, or do you just keep adding to it and do a complete clean out every couple of months?
2. What is mash???? I’m giving mine organic layer pellets as I want organic eggs. I also give them some organic mixed corn in the morning.
3. When putting cider vinegar in their drinking water, how much do I put in a litre of water?
Sorry about all the questions but I’m trying hard not to do anything wrong that might harm my hens.
2.
Hi Fn, all three of our hens, Linda, Daisy and Shiela have just laid but despite having three wonderful nesting boxes they all seem to be using the same one, why Is this and will this change?.
Thanks so much for responding quickly!!
Ami
Hi Pippa
Apologies that I have taken so long to get back to you.
Our hens slept in the nesting box before they started laying so I blocked it off until they were about six months old and likely to start laying. Then I filled it with tempting nests and china eggs.
Hi Sarah
The markings on eggs can vary from day to day. Sometimes Carol lays plain brown eggs and sometimes speckled ones.
I have never found that the size of the comb equates to egg laying ability!
Hi Suzanne
I can™t think of anything that you could put on her to stop the pecking. A little Savlon rubbed into the pecked area may make her feel better though.
Hi Ricky rooster & flock
The hens will start laying when they are ready. The layers pellets don™t make them lay they are designed to give them the nutrients that they need when they are laying.
Fingers crossed that you won™t have to wait too long!
Hi Rick
Sometimes hens stop laying for a bit for no apparent reason. Egg laying does fall off a bit as the summer progresses. Personally I would add a distraction to the run, such as a cabbage hung from a string or a football. Boredom can be a real problem amongst chickens. Also have you wormed them recently and treated them for mites? This can have a severe effect on laying.
Hi Lee
Great news that Daisy has laid her first egg!
Hi Roy Fagan
Some of the hens are probably a bit younger than the others. Do their combs look red “ if the are still pink they are just not mature enough to lay. A delouse and worming could buck them up a bit if they look ready to lay.
I™d be interested to hear what happens.
Hi Tanya
Your dad need to feed his hens layers pellets and also give them a handful of oyster shell once a week.
Hi Tay, Jay & Zay
So pleased that you are finding the site useful and have discovered what fun it can be to keep chickens. Thanks for leaving a comment, much appreciated.
Hi Teresa
Lee is right don™t expect eggs until at least 24 weeks.
Thanks Lee.
Hi Ricky rooster & flock
This is exciting news!
I pick up eggs on the day that they are laid. I always keep china eggs in the nesting box so the hens don™t think that I™m stealing the lot. Eggs can go off quite quickly in the hot sun. If you don™t know how fresh the eggs are why not try doing this trick with a bucket of water https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=664
Hi Ami
Initially egg laying can be a bit erratic until the hens settle into a rhythm. They will probably start to lay less around October time when the days are noticeably shorter.
Hi!
We have 4 Plymouth Barred Rock chickens that are 21 weeks old. We found our first egg yesterday. We have added oyster shell and egg laying mash to their diet. One of them laid it on the floor of the henhouse even though there are nesting boxes in there!? We added some fake eggs into the boxes. There were no eggs today. Does anyone know when the next eggs should be coming? It is August here and the peak of summer in Washington. Thanks so much! Ami
We have 3 eggs today!!!! Should I leave them alone? How long can they be outside and be “ok” to eat? I just want to make sure we’re doing the right things.
Thanks!!!!
Hi everyone … I am so excited – I can’t believe it. My husband came in the house just now and said he found 2 eggs. Sure enough I looked under our back deck … and there are 2 eggs … one smaller than the other and they are not together. Does that mean 2 chickens are laying or just one?
My husband wouldn’t have even noticed or checked under the deck but when my husband went outside – Ricky bowed up at him and he couldn’t figure out why the attitude – then my husband started looking under the deck where Ricky came out from and … SURPRISE!
The chickens like it under the deck and out of the hot sun. They have nesting boxes – but haven’t been in there much.
Yesturday afternoon I was laying out in the sun and I heard the chickens making strange noises and they were under the deck. I wonder if they were discussing the new additions?!
Wow – they are 5 months old … are they a little young? Is the rooster protective of the eggs? Any advice would be helpful.
My husband needs to clip their wings because they fly out of the pen. Maybe this will help keep them in the pen and near the nesting boxes?!
I just had to share the good and exciting news!
Thank you for all your support and encouragement. I will keep you all posted!
Hi Teresa, I was also really eager for my chickens to lay eggs but yours are just to young to lay at the moment. Wait until they are about 24 weeks old.
my hens are 16 weeks old when should l get eggs
Hi, We have just got our first chickens!! After spending weeks reading up on what to do and what to do, another two weeks building what has turned out to be a huge house and run we finally got our girls last Saturday. It is Friday now and we have already had 6 eggs. They were all at the point of lay when we got them. We have an Amber Star called Star, a golden line called Izzi, and two french morans – think thats how you spell it – called Aubi and Wizzy. They are fab. All very friendly and love a cuddle. Star has laid one egg every 26 – 30 hours, Aubi has laid one and Izzy has also laid one. We are so happy to have them. Stars first egg had a double yolk which the children found soooo exciting. This site is fab. I have picked up so much info just reading what others have put. I dont realy have a question for you I just wanted to let you know how much we are loving having our girls and reading your site. Thanks X