My Chickens

[so lucky]

If you can set up something like a card table or a piece of plywood set on concrete blocks, that would give the girls some shade. I have my chicken house set up about 18" off the ground, and it stays shady and dry under there. That's where they spend most of their day. I think they would be really miserable if they had to be out in the hot sun all day.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Helped MontyJ build the chickens nest boxes today. I like how they turned out. I'll get a few pics tomorrow.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Well we got the nest boxes up Friday, the first "egg" was laid Saturday afternoon, but it broke and got eaten as soon as it was laid. Now here is what has happened. I got an egg yesterday with a pretty solid shell, so I'm saying that was a "real" egg, but on the small side. I got another one today..... just one. All the other chickens are the same age as the one that's laying the "eggs" about 16 weeks old. Can anyone give me an idea when I can expect the others to start laying eggs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Each one is an individual. They are living animals. You cant guarantee anything. Blah, blah, blah, blah blah.

It really is a guess but with your breeds and this time of year Id guess that you will probably have maybe half of them laying by week 21 or 22. Most should be laying by week 24. You might have one wait until as late as week 27, but probably not.

I have had some not lay until they were 9 months old, then they started laying early December, on some of the shortest days of the year and with no extra lights. But those were designer chicks from a breeder, not standard chickens from a hatchery like yours.

 

[MontyJ]

I found another egg in the coop this morning. This has to be a new layer; the shell was very, very soft. Amazingly, it didn't get broken.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

I found another egg in the coop this morning. This has to be a new layer; the shell was very, very soft. Amazingly, it didn't get broken.

A little while later I watched one of the white chickens in the coop.... it laid a shell less egg.... so Ithink now I ave 3 chickens laying eggs... or will have soon

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Finally identified the chicken that has been laying the eggs!!!!!!!!!!!! It's my nutmeg!!!!! I went out to see if there were any more "oops" eggs and she was sitting in the bag of bedding and had just laid her egg!!!! I took the egg and put her back on the ground. It was pretty funny, because all the other chickens were gathered around her looking up.... as if to ask "what are you doing up there"? lol

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Well I know who is laying the white egg, it's miss prissy aka tail feathers!! I finally got my first dozen eggs!!! I got 4 white ones and 8 brown. Now I will go out looking for my eggs and find a dozen a day!!!!
Good thing I have been saving my egg cartons

 

[dewdropsinwv]

I will have to get some pictures of the run we have set up so you all know what it looks like.

On another note, I got a full dozen eggs finally!!!! I have 4 white eggs and 8 brown eggs. There are two brown layers now Nutmeg and Goldilox, the white egg layer is Miss Prissy but we figured that one out.

 

[so lucky]

Eat those eggs, girl!