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 Gary
Handling your chickens can only be a good thing and most of them enjoy a cuddle. If you buy sand for them get silver sand (the sort that is used in children’s sand pits). However our chickens make their own dustbaths in the run and seem happy with that.
Hi FN,
Im knew to keeping chicken and have Four 18/20 week old hens. I would ike to know if I need to handle them on a daily Basis to get used to us. Could you also tell me what type of sand is required for them to have a dust bath and should it be put in a separate box for them to use or just lay it on the floor of the coop.
Many Thanks for your time Garry B
Hi FN,
Im new to keeping Chickens and these are our first . Should we handle the chickens on a daily basis to get them used to us. Two of the four are quite nervous, also what type of sand should i use for them to dust themselves in. Thank you Garry
Hi Gary
Hens don’t necessarily lay eggs where you want them to lay! Most like the nesting box eventually (if tht=is is a dark place) but you will find eggs all over the shop in time.
I have just got my family and Myself 4 hybrid hens, they are all around 19 weeks old and today , which is there third day with us one of them has laid our first egg (well done rosemary). My question is that she didn’t lay it in the nesting box but in the corner of the Hen house. The nesting Box’s (two) have both been cushioned with straw. Is this usual for Hens to ignore the Box’s in favor of the pull-out tin floor which also has a minimal layer of straw so that i can collect the droppings. Thanx Garry
Hi Su B
She will stay with the chicks until they are big ebough for all of them to join the rest of the flock – about three months. Then she will be busy looking after them so wan’t probably start to lay for a while.
Great no summer house this year for me then! When will Hettie (mommy hen) want to leave her chicks to go out and see the other hens and when does she lay eggs again.
One of my Sussex hens disappeared for a week or so before I went on a 2 week hol got back and yes I saw my hen back in the garden only to disappear again before bedtime. Next day I located her in the bracken down on the hillside and guess what we have 2 baby chicks too! Well done Hettie. I rescued them all and have put them in the summer house as I don’t have another chicken pen do you normally need another pen or what are the alternatives pls
Hi Sue B
Oh good for Hettie! They definitely need to be in a seperate pen until the chicks are about three months old.
you CAN usually move a broody hen into a smaller pen if you have one so long as it has a nice nest box… I usually find broody hens in bushes, so I always move mine. good luck though!
on another subject- I have a hen who is egg-bound and was wondering if anyone had a solution to that?
I live in Spain and have 8 chickens and 1 cockeral, i have a brrody hen sitting at the moment on 16 eggs but as she is sitting where the others normally lay there eggs the others have now stopped laying , what do i need to do do to get them laying again as I CANT MOVE THE broody who bis sitting on the eggs, any answer would be appreciated