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 there, we have just delved into the chicken world and have bought 10 chickens from a local market. Three or four different breeds, suffolks, warrens, silkies etc.
We are on day 4 and have had three eggs a day so far, which isn’t too bad. How can I tell how old my new chickens are, is there a useful website anywhere with this information?
claire boven gold are a beautiful friendly hen i worked in holland for a year in 1998 and the boarding house i stayed in kept boven gold so i no theyre from holland.ive just rang them they said if there young birds this time of year they should start laying between 20 and 23 week old.and they are suppost to lay very well.
Hello
3 weeks ago we bought 3 ‘Boven Gold’ hens, the breeder informed us that they were at point of lay at 18 weeks old. They have a hen house which they sleep in at night, they have a run and they spend most of the afternoon/evening in the garden. Can anyone tell me when we shoud expect some eggs. This is the first time we have kept hens. I think we maybe being a bit impatient.
Hi Emilie, Well I think your worms in the water is a great puzzle. When chickens are sick they tend to separate from the flock and they dont race to the feed like normal. I use all natural dewormer as the other says not to eat the eggs for 3 days. go on the internet and find something near to you. Most feed stores sell stuff but I havent found anything that works as well as DE powder (food Quality ONLY). I think if you take sometime to scroll back reading 20 or 30 of the comments you will find tons of great information about raising chickens. If you do find out about the worms in the water please let us know. Susie..
emilie id like to no what you keep your water in and were you keep it. i would say its not a tape worm witch is the most common in hens. if your water is outside then maybe a young earth worm as crawled in and if its been in all night it will turn white.if your worried chop a few carrots up very fine for your birds that will help.
thanks for aswering me there was no poo in the water bowl though
Hi Emily, I have never seen worms in the water and was waiting for someone to answer you but it didn’t happen. I am guessing but maybe one pooped in the water. Parasites are generally microscopic and I live in Florida and havent heard of a worm problem. We do have parasite problems with most of our livestock because of weather conditions. I use FOOD QUALITY diatmacaeous earth in my chicken feed. 1 cup for 50lbs of feed and I use it as needed for my pygmy goats rather than putting it in their feed all the time. I hope someone can explain about the worms as I am very interested too. Susie
how come your never answering me
chris that puts your hens at about 30 week old if my maths are right.light sussex as most pure breeds dont lay till about 32 weeks old.ive got 4 of my own.warrens i cant understand they should be laying at the latest 24 week old are you sure there only 20 week old or as he let them go through there first molt any telling you there only young birds because it seems very strange why there not laying.i put my pullets on chick crumbs from day old to 6 week then from 6 week to point of lay growers pellets or as some people call them reares pellets then when i see my first egg from either hen onto layers pellets.but everyone does there own thing ive got a friend that gives them wheat from day one and whole not ground up even he gets good results.i prefer to feed them like this they seem to grow faster but same as i said everyone has there way. good luck.any way fn i think all us chicken lovers should get together one day and have a good drink .
fn i have one young cockrel with 16 pullets just for breeding.also if i keep the cockrels what am i going to do with them i will end up with to many.ive also 100 or so old hens that run about seperately with no cockrel.
Hello Stuart
Thanks for your reply.
I can see your point.