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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Hello Susie
Thanks for your advice!
Hi Hannah
I use wood chips (like you would use for a hamster or a guinea pig). They are very absorbent so make the weekly spring clean really fast and easy.
what should i use for my bantams nesting box hay dirt or sand
thanks
Hi Hannah, Bantams are slightly different than the rest. I find they are slower in laying but they are wonderful mothers. My friend has one bantam and she likes to sit. My friend puts 2or 3 eggs from the other hens under her and she hatches them and then raises the chicks. They are bigger than her but she is the Mom. Give them time and they will lay when they are ready. Bantams are really great little birds. Hope this helps.
Hi Ann, your coop may be too dark as chickens dont lay at night. Leave the door and windows open to let light in. Putting a fake egg helps alot. free range chickens are notorious for laying outside but if you get them to start laying indide it will cut it down abit. Once i found 20 eggs in an outside nest. didnt know how long they were there so i tossed them. some people feed eggs and shell to their chickens but i dont. If it is not really freezing the coop needs more air circulating to keep dry. I also nailed a 4 inch board in front of my lower boxes at the bottom and they started laying in them right away. Security i guess. my upper boxes had the front on them. hope this helps.
my chickens arn’t laying ethier ive got to bantam chickens and one bantam rooster they have water and exellent food available all the time they are so spoilt but we dont get any thing in return they are 8 months old thanks
p.s really great advice thanks
Hello,
I am trying to get my chickens to lay in the nesting box – it is warm, dry and dark, in a corner of the henhouse.
But they free range during the day, and have made their own nests around the back yard. Everyday is like an easter egg hunt!!
Is there any easy way to get them to lay in the box? I have put an egg in there.
Secondly, it is winter here now and I have covered the whole henhouse with tar paper, so it is quite dark inside. There are agaps around the door when air can get in, but it is very dark inside. Is this OK? They are usually only in there at nighttime.
Hi Susie A Ingram
Thanks for all your help and advice much appreciated.
Hi Christy
I usually switch them to layers pellets at three months. Some people switch them to growers pellets first.
Hi John
We put our broody hens in an anti broody coop – it works a treat. https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=289
Thanks Stuart dont think it will be the water treatment