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 all
went out to check the hen house earlier and was greeted with 3 eggs so Pudsey has laid her first egg, she must have known we were talking about her
Hi Micelle
So pleased that it worked! Thanks for dropping by with the update!
Hi Gary
She will lay. Just give her time.
Chickens are great fun and not a lot of work. In fact I even enjoy cleaning them out! You are so right, they are hugely entertaining. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Hi all
Thanks for the reply, will just have to wait and see then , hopefully she’ll get the idea , just a word to anyone reading this that is thinking of getting chickens but hasnt yet, go for it , we wish we had done it years ago , these are our first 3 and we love them to bits , if you can let them roam free in the garden so much the better , they are hilarious to watch.
hi fn well puting kate in the broody coup has worked after 3 days i did not think it would work thanks
Hi Gary
Sometime hens (even of the same breed) take longer to mature. You just have to be patient. She will lay when she is ready.
Not all hens lay an egg a day. If you own hens that do this you are lucky!
Hi Tina
Without seeing your set up it’s impossible to answer your question if you don’t provide more facts.
Have you candled the eggs? Are they fertile? Has there been a recent huge drama in the hen run? All these could roust a bird from sitting. How long had she been broody? It may be that she was just feeling off colour and now is feeling better again. Has her comb changed colour? This is a good indicator re broodiness.
Chickens are complex creatures.
Why has my broody hen stopped sitting on her eggs ? Please help !
Hi Everyone
Great site. My family and I are new to keeping chickens , 3 weeks ago we went to a local farm to buy our new house guests, 1 brown ranger and 2 ambers ,the brown ranger and one amber started laying straight away and have given us two eggs a day ever since , the other amber hasn’t laid at all yet, they are fed on mash and scraps but spend most of their time foraging around the garden as we free range them if we are in.
I know they are young birds but not sure of the exact age , I don’t think it’s a stress issue as the two ambers are very friendly and come up to you to be petted.Any ideas would be appreciated
Hi Michelle
Fingers crossed!
iv just been to see her and she is sitting there looking quite cosy and she has food/water i hope this works
Hi Michelle
You are not being mean. Your little hen won’t like it but she will quickly be out of her broody state and be a happy hen again.
Have you put food and water in the coop with her?
I would try her for 2 days initially; if she races back to the nesting box put her back in for another couple of days. Most hens only need 2-3 days to get out of a broody state. Mrs Boss needed at least seven! You have to play it by ear.