penny70 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 One of my hens started laying on Boxing Day, and the other one who is a couple of weeks younger shows no sign of following suit although she must be due to any day now. how can I tell if she's got anywhere near laying? At the moment we are not impressed with her behaviour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Has she started crouching? Laying usually happens a few days to a week after that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 She will start laying soon I'm sure. Is she the same breed as your other girl? Different breeds will come in to lay at different ages. Also the hen at the bottom of the pecking order may be later coming in to lay. If she has a red face, comb and wattles it will happen soon. Also look out for her squatting. My first youngster came in to lay December and the second (older) one few weeks later. The other two are still thinking about it - Annette is squatting for Dorothy but not us and has a giant comb (seriously) but its not overly red, Connie looks a bit further off. Might also be the daylight. If she is looking healthy and everything don't worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny70 Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Ok, so my layer is a docile, friendly Amber who is slightly older and definitely top dog (or hen!). My non-layer is bottom of the flock of two, terrified of everything even though we've had them since late August, and possibly a rhode rock. Her wattles have definitely gone bright red recently, and have grown, so fingers crossed an egg will appear soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny70 Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Or she may be a black star. Black with a beautiful green sheen and orange neck feathers. Who knows? Rescued hen so will never be sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny70 Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 Still no egg from Choccie. Do you get broken hens who just don't lay? What is the longest a youngster goes before laying before you give up and say well that one just isn't working?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I'm sure she will get there in her own time. It's still pretty miserable weather. My two youngest girls still haven't bothered yet, despite one having the biggest comb and wattles of the lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny70 Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 Choccie has just started crouching - believe that eggs follow shortly after this? She's been gradually getting less terrified of life, but I was amazed this morning when I went to let them out of the small run into the big one, and she crouched in front of me and let me stroke her. Wow, what a change. I have also noticed that the last few days she's been sounding more like a proper chicken, rather than those sort of 'peepy' chick noises she'd been making till then. S**s law though that she'll start laying just as I start treating the scales leg with ivermectin, so will need a withdrawal period. Ah well, at least it looks as though she may not be broken after all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Ooooo exciting my youngsters started to crouch and then between a week to 2 weeks laying me lovely eggs most days!!!! Can I ask have you tried the nettex spray for scaley leg? I've used it on my pekins with success and there's no withdrawal for eggs!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 She should lay soon - a week to two weeks as above sometimes a little bit longer but it will happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny70 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 SHE LAID, SHE LAID, SHE LAID!!! Yes, yes, I know that we can't eat Choccie's eggs at the moment because she is being treated with the ivermectin drops for scaley leg, but that's beside the point. The point is, we now have 2 laying chooks, and I can stop worrying that one of them is broken! 10 days to go and then we'll be able to eat both Snow White and Choccie's (blame the kids for the names) eggs, so we'll be laughing. Many eggs. In the mean time, the dog can't believe her luck, with a fresh egg every day! (Assuming it's ok to feed the ivermectin eggs to the dog?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Yay Roll on eating those yummy eggs!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
