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 its me again.. i have the 4 chicks well they are about 6-8 weeks old now.. we have a small coop for them and a run but i also leave them out of the run and coop for about an hr a day to roam in the yard they seem to like it as they come to the door when they see me wanting out for awhile and then go back around the door when they want back in.. when should i start them on something different right now they are still on the chick starter.
Hi Stuart
Thank you so muh for your advice – much appreciated as always.
john put your broody in a dark place away from other hens and sit her on 2 or 3 pot eggs till shes had enough.alternatly you can do what i do i can get 6 or 7 broody at the same time.i take them off the nest and dip there heads in cold water twice a day for a week or so and that seems to do the trick for me but thats not to everybodys liking which ever you seem to do good luck.
tony your shed and run is great its big enough for 20 hens.just layers pellets may sound a bit boring but believe me for egg production its the best.throw them a bit of wheat in the grass that wont hurt that will give them something to do and give them exersise.your white hen could be a white leghorn.your dark one could be indian game but im not posotive.your nest box 18 inch square is ideal good luck with your new hobby
Hi everyone
what do you do with a broody hen when you dont want to breed
Any answers would be welcome thanks
HI everyone, me and the kids have just got our first 2 hens, we got them from a breeder and although we dont know the breed one is all white, very brave and friendly, the other is dark with a hint of green and red tint, whos a bit more cautious but fine.
Being a hen virgin could you tell me what i can give them as a treat, i think the pellets must get boring after a while.
Also i converted a 6×4 ft shed with 2 perch’s and a nest box, but the door is open for them all day and have a open run at the side of my house of about 12ft x 8ft. is this ok?
Also last thing, how big should the nest box be?
oh yea one more thing, any way of stopping them pooing so much ha ha
Thanks for your help, cant wait for our first eggs
people who are keeping warrens must understand there laying machines.many warrens dont live to 3 year old theyve wore them selfs out i keep over 150 at a time all free range.a lot of older hens get the white powder round there backside this is called newcastle disease they usually die within 6 month.as for pellets if you want eggs and plenty of them feed just layers pellets.you no when people give there dog a dried complete meal its exactly the same with a hen give them just pellets theres everything in it including 40per cent corn.
Hi Miranda, Glad to welcome another chicken person. Dont worry about the hen not laying as long as she is well. Hens lay when they are ready. As for the rooster, you only need him if you want the eggs fertilized for hatching. Its good to keep a polite rooster (one that is gently with the hens) as he will run the roost. If you dont have a rooster many times a hen will stop laying and become the boss. I find it better to have the rooster. One rooster for 12 or 14 hens is about the limit for breeding purposes. I hope this helps.
Hello EVERYONE,
1. I have 1 rooster and 2 hens, one of the hens is laying eggs. BUt the other is not! SHe is deffinitally old enough! they are about the same age. What could it be?
2. I just ordered 12 more baby hen chicks (they will arrive JUNE 4th. Do hens have to have a rooster to have eggs?
Hi Jane, Thank you for the information. I have thought about giving the hens some cracked corn and cut back abit on the laying pellets. It would save some money but I’m more interested in a comment someone made saying the pellets may be too rich. My chickens free range all day but we are in a drought and the bugs must be scarce. The temperature has been about 93 daily and the egg laying is going down so I really dont know if the corn is the answer. If you know about corn please let me know. Thanks….