Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: themagicaltoad1 on June 20, 2009, 22:28

Title: when do they start laying?
Post by: themagicaltoad1 on June 20, 2009, 22:28

Hi
Before I bought my 3 bantam chicks I read that chickens start laying at around 20wks. I've just read a book on bantams and it said they don't start laying until 35wks, that will make it about December time, and I understood they didn't lay through the winter! Not that it really matters as they're pets but it would be nice to know when we are likely to see an egg. Can anyone advise me?

Title: Re: when do they start laying?
Post by: Tazzy on June 21, 2009, 15:37

Never kept bantams, but always been able to tell when my girls are about to start laying as their combs and wattles begin to grow and change colour from light pink to a deeper red. They've been around 5-6 months old at that time.

Tazzy

Title: Re: when do they start laying?
Post by: themagicaltoad1 on June 21, 2009, 18:49

Thanks Tazzy, 2 of them are silkies so haven't got a wattle & comb and the only one that looks like it may have, is still too young to tell whether it's going to be a cock or hen. 5-6 months is about what I thought for chickens but I've been thrown by this book saying bantams don't start laying until 35 wks, and if they don't lay through the winter months am I going to have to wait until next spring??? Does anyone know about bantams?

Title: Re: when do they start laying?
Post by: woodside farm on June 21, 2009, 18:51

Most breeds will be laying by 26 weeks, some sooner.
If this falls in winter time they will still start laying, my first chickens I hatched started laying on Christmas day.

Michelle

Title: Re: when do they start laying?
Post by: themagicaltoad1 on June 21, 2009, 19:04

aawwww, it must have been a Christmas present for you! :lol:

Title: Re: when do they start laying?
Post by: woodside farm on June 21, 2009, 19:12

7 years on and I still like collecting eggs.  :D