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 Brigitte
Generally you can buy wormer from the ordinary vet, they might have to order it for you.
I allow the maximum space for each chicken. Our run is 30’x 6′ for seven birds (three full sized birds and four bantams). The max I’d like in the space is ten or twelve at a pinch. They will happily live in a smaller space but I like them to be able to fly in the run.
brigitte look in yellow pages any poultry vet sells it.also any good animal feed store will most definitly sell it.read instructions but dilute it a bit stronger than it recommends. then keep your drinker inside till theyve drank it all.your second question depends how many hens you have.1 square metre per any hen is ample.
Where can one buy anti worming medication without the expense of summoning a vet?
And what is the recommended space allowance for smaller (Bantam) and larger (Auracana) breeds?
Thank you
-Brigitte
ann you should be in bed at this time of night
Thank you very much for all the information. It helps out alot. It is nice to have some where to get some information, from people who know what they are doing. Very much appreciated! Thanks again.
ive got 18 pullets in a shed they have access to a large area of grass 24 hours a day as with all my hens i feed them in the afternoon then they go in the sheds whenever they wont.i dont go back and lock them up at night as i am working.i feed the 18 pullets 4 cup full of pellets when theyve ate them then 4 cup full of wheat then they forage in the grass.for the past 2 week i get 17 or 18 eggs a day off them and no artificial lighting.with my other 100 older hens half a bucket of pellets when theyve gone 3 buckets of wheat.then also all the scraps and i mean any scraps.
white leghorn is still regarded as the best laying hen in the world.go to america for a holiday buy some eggs from a shop there all white it is still usa best egg producer.about providing extra light personally i dont.let your pullets lay naturally through the year then the second lay the year after will be better than the first and much bigger eggs.about being illegal to feed on meat a lot of meal you buy as fish meal in it.as ive said before if your hens are in the molt open a tin of dog food thats great protein. obviously you must give them other food.any scraps meat bread pasta all is good for them plus a hand full of pellets and a hand full of wheat
Hello Ann
Like us, all chickens are slightly different even within breed. Leghorns should be good layers, specifically if you provide artificial light.
However, even in the height of chicken laying (around Easter time) there are loads of factors that can put a hen of lay for a bit. Such as a sudden change in the weather or a tiff in the hen house.
My good friend, The Chicken lady, advised me against raising Leghorns.
”They are a continental breed. And very emotional.”
She advised to raise a steadier breed (White Sussex). Now I am beginning to see why!
Your Leghorn just might want to keep warm rather than lay eggs for you. It has started to get a bit chilly.
BTW we are planning to raise a brood of Leghorns in the Spring. We don’t provide extra lighting in the winter, as we reckon that the hens are happier with a few months rest. We do miss the eggs though.
Hello,
Thank you for the quick answer! I forgot to tell you that I have a light on in the chicken coop, I have 2 bannies that are laying every other day, shouldn’t the leghorn still lay an egg? Since she is getting enough light.
by the way thanks for the help!
Hi Sandra
Our hens have vegetable scraps (cooked and raw) mixed with bran as a treat. We feed them layers pellets and some corn in the mornings.
It’s illegal to feed your chickens meat. If they can’t free range it’s important that they have access to food that has the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Hi Stuart
Thanks for all your advice. Much appreciated.
Hello Ann
That was a soft shelled egg that you found. There is nothing wrong.
Chickens naturally stop laying eggs as the days get shorter and colder. They will start to lay again after the shortest day (December 21st in the northern hemisphere) so expect eggs to start coming again in January.