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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ha ha ha too you all my chickens have given me 300 eggs a year
Thanks Fn for your reply,
there is however an update to this,
I was inspecting the nest boxes (again) when I noticed what looked like a forkfull of spaghetti bolognese romana (tomato and spaghetti). It wasn’t of course, but infact a huge roundworm and some intestinal tissue!! The vets have offered flubenvet to treat them. Having worms present (specially that size) would almost certainly have an effect on laying, so I suspect this is the main reason the older ones haven’t started yet. Hopefully this will sort that out and generally everyone will feel a lot better after treatment. I can’t believe I have missed this for so long, I feel ever so guilty, I guess I hoped the verm-x and the diatomous earth would prevent this. Hey ho, a lesson learnt.
Hi Rosieposey
I think that it’s just a matter of time.
Although I use china eggs in the nesting boxes (you are not stealing all the eggs when you collect the real ones) and I’d switch them to layers pellets as they are old enough now.
Hi all,
i have about 20 hens (and unfortunately about five roos) who were hatched from May to October following a series of fox attacks last year. With new fencing, and an enclosed run and an electric fence to boot, they are certainly much safer. Unfortunately , although there are 2 hen houses the majority f them (all bar 4) insist on huddling together in the larger hen house, and with only three of them up perching it means the remainder all snuggle into the nestboxes at bedtime. As many as 7 hens in each nest box (designed for 1-2 hens to lay at a time). I know this keeps them warmer on a cold night, but I think they may be associating it with the wrong function (bed – rest not nest)
My question is, is this the reason they are not laying yet?
They are a mix of breeds, and I don’t suppose Buffy (Orpington) or Pixie (silkie) to be ready for some time , but the eldest black Araucana (Angelina) and the SL Wyandotte (Maria) are now almost nine months old – so why no eggs?? If I could have produced a child in that time it seems reasonable that they could reward us with an egg! 🙂 (no, I haven’t really just added to our family, my children are plenty!))
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions I would be grateful. Should I try china eggs?
p.s They are all still on growers pellets (as I was recommended to wait until eggs appear before putting down layer pellets) and yes, I have tried moving them at night to a more even distribution between the houses, but they revert to old ways after a few days.
Hi Angel
Great that you got an egg but what a shame that it was crushed.
Answer to your question. Yes and no. Look at the eggs in the photo above. I know which hens laid these eggs as I know the sort of egg that each hen lays, so it is easy to match egg to hen.
The little egg at the top of the photo was laid by Mrs Boss – a Pekin bantam. Mrs Squeaky (clean) also lays the occasional egg and these are creamy white. Same breed, different coloured eggs.
So the answer to your question is probably no, in my limited experience.
Hi all, found our first egg!!! HOORAY! We are having the same problem of finding out who layed it? It was broken because I think they pecked it, found it late afternoon! Have a question, can I determine there breed by looking at the egg?
Hi Stephanie
That is great news! Hope all the other 58 are up and producing soon.
HOORAY! My husband and I had been out for the day, and arriving home, he ran to the hen house in hope, and came back with the biggest grin and two very small perfect eggs, then doubt hit, and he assumed that one of our friends who know of our woe was having a laugh, but no, they are from our hens, now all we have to do is discover the star layer, 2 out of 60 ain’t bad.
Hi Stephanie
I think that 8 months is the magic benchmark for eggs (at the earliest). Suddenly you will be awash with eggs, the day that you have bought a dozen from Tesco!
I love my hens too but we have no eggs yet this year. Just the one young Guinea and five elderly maidens. All eating for England.
Hi, I have 60 hens, all various breeds, 3 cocks and 12 ducks, guess what? Not one egg, I live in hope every day, they have comfortable nest boxes, all the bedding they require, plenty of perching and nesting areas, food, light, grit,water, and they all live happily in the same barn, some are 7 months, some a little older, cocks are crowing, have done for a few weeks, and still no eggs, I am keeping tesco in profit, patience is a virtue, and I’m slowly losing mine, especially as they’re costing me 2 sacks of food a day, but we wouldn’t be without our feathered friends.