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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where the run and their coop is the run wont get afternoon sun from 12pm on.. and we are making a door on the end so i can walk into the run to give them fresh water and their feed there is also goin to be a roof on it so the water will drain off and the coop will have a seperate nexting box with its own door on it to check for eggs and to clean it when needed how much space do you really need for the coop for 4 chickens? its a small coop right now and i figured the smaller the warmer they would stay in the winter i dont think that its warm enough here yet and they dont have all their feathers in yet either it gets to about 50 here during the day sometimes 60
Hello,
I’ve just found this website and it’s been really fun to read. Just a quick question…. Does anyone have any ideas for how to encourage the hens to lay in the nesting box. I have 2 hens and if I keep them in the run I almost always have 2 eggs waiting for me in the nesting box. However, if I let them out to free range in the garden they don’t lay in the nesting box – I presume that they have found some other place to lay but I can’t for the life of me find it! I’d love to find a way to encourage them to lay in the nesting box all the time because that would mean that I could let them out to roam more often. The nesting box is clean and dark with shredded newspaper…what else could I try?!
Thanks for your help!
Hi Susie
I have fund that porcelain eggs in the nesting box seem to encourage the hens to lay. Also ultra clean bedding. We use a deep layer ofhorse chips and sawdust. You are not ‘stealing ‘their eggs every day as you always leave a clutch. Our hens can’t be free range as the Min Pins would polish them off in seconds. But they do have a lrage run 30’x6’ where they can fly and hide.
The paper can stick to their legs and cause problems. The other option is a deep layer of straw. You could also try an independent nesting box in the garden – a dog kennel type of construction that is darkish inside and is located in a quiet spot in the garden. If your hens think that you are taking their eggs (which you are) they will take great care to lay in a secret nest that you may never find.
The porcelain egg route always seems to work for me.
ok will have to do. it will get morning sun could make a small window on each side for morning and afternoon.. i just figured they would spend alot of time in the run.. we are planning on putting a roof over the run will that be ok? its about 4ft high right now…also when will i be able to put them outside? when all their feathers are in??? right now just the wing feathers are in these lil girls ( i hope ) are flying everywhere and nosey as can be. lol
Hi Chucknchristy
Most hens willspend most of the day in the run but some prefer hanging out indoors.
You need to be able to get into the run without the hens escaping. Ours is about 5’6″ high, with a wire mesh roof to stop them flying away. They need to have fresh water every day and you need to check the feed levels and eventually collect the eggs. If you give them a four foot high run they will not be able to fly as adult birds. When you lift off the roof to tend them they could easily escape.
I would give them limited access to the run when they are about six weeks old. This needs to be carefully monitored as they are liable to sunstroke. Perhaps an hour at the end of each day then they will naturally return to their house at dusk
hi julie what kind of hen have you got thats not well.if its an hybred generally 3 to 4 year old nearly all go like that im afraid theyve come to the end of there time if it is a hybred.if you want a bird to live a long life bye a banty.ive got one 10 year old she lays roughly 30 eggs a year but she keeps surviving every winter.
Hi Dan
Chickens are quite sensitive to changes in the weather, being moved etc. This will sometimes effect their poo.
If it continues I would consider worming all the hens.
Make sure that they have a good diet of corn and layers pellets with plenty of grit and oyster shells.
Hello Susie A Ingram
Sometimes I wonder the same! Thanks for all your comments much appreciated.
Hi Julie
The hen is not well. This is not normal behaviour. Isolate the hen and keep her warm with access to food and drink. If she doesn’t get better ring your vet for advice.
Hi chucknchristy
Generally there’s a small window on a chicken coup. The nesting box needs to be as dark as possible.
hi. i finally got my 4 chicks.. we are in the middle of making a pen for them.. do they need to have sun light inside the nesting box and inside the coop? the coop is small but we might be adding onto it sometime in the future their run is pretty big for just 4 chickens..
hi one of our chickens is acting strange it tends to just stand there with her eyes closed and doesn’t move.
is there a problem with it or is it normal?
I dont understand why the answers to so many questions dont seem to help. If you read the last 10 replies you will find the solutions to many recent problems.
Hi,
we have just got 4 chickens. but have noticed some of the poo is runny. what could this be? we are trying to find out which one it is and to isolate it at the momemt with access to food and water. could this be because hes been moved to a new home and is a bit unsettled??
cheers
If you can afford to buy 25 chicks and pay the shipping I have had very good luck with McMurray Hatchery. Go on the net and find them. They will send you a free catalog and the information in it is great. You will find out about many different types of chickens. I put a natural powder in the laying feed to keep my hens healthy. they should not separate from the flock and the poo should look like a turban with a white cap on top. Hope this info. helps.