[goldnessy]

i have two hens which will be 24 weeks this week and they still not laying eggs yet. should i be concerned if they dont start to lay. i was told to try some rubber eggs they said it should help them dont no if this is true

[Kelloggs]

What breed are they? some are very slow to mature I wouldn't expect mine to lay till  30 weeks +

[goldnessy]

 there is a light sussex and a brown sussex i was told they lay between 18-24 weeks but so far there is nothing

[Kelloggs]

I wouldn't worry to much, you will know when its getting near as their combs will get redder and if they are anything like mine they will tell the whole world thats its nearly time

[goldnessy]

ok thanks alot for your help

[Sassy]

I had a Light Sussex that didn't lay until she was over 30 weeks!

[GerryOB]

I'm wondering if that's what mine are doing, as they seem to squark a lot.  They are 19 - 20 weeks old.  I have one white leghorn, who has the biggest/redest comb, followed by a copper black that has the next largest/reddest comb.  The other two are a coucou and a ranger, and their combs are not quite so developed yet, so I think they may be a week or so younger.  However, they all seem to squark in the morning once they have been let out for breakfast. They stuff themselves, then it's like a competition to see who can squark the loudest.  I really don't want to upset the neighbours and end up having to get rid of them, so in desperation, I use a squirty bottle and sit there with them for a couple of minutes, and if they make any REALLY loud noises, I give them a quick squirt, which usually shuts them up.  I figure it can't hurt, they get rained on and people are talking about dunking them in buckets of cold water to fend off broodiness etc, so a quick squirt can't do them any harm, it just lets them know not to make a racket.   I've taken to leaving the spray bottle on a chair near the coop as a reminder to them    It seems to be working as they are actually quieter and just make general rosey noises now, which no one minds.  If they forget themselves and squark, a quick squirt usually reminds them to keep it down

Do you think the noise they are making could be because they are coming up to starting to lay?  Not had anything from any of them yet.

Many thanks!

Gerry

[goldnessy]

my brown sussex as been making the same noise for the past couple of days i,m hoping it is a sign of her starting to lay

[carolbriar]

I have a light sussex who is just about a year old now and she has not laid one single egg!  Every morning she goes and sits in the nest box and then comes out having had a nice quiet time and I go and check and there is nothing there.  She announced she had laid an egg one day - I was so excited I dashed in and nothing. 

[GrannieAnnie]

Most of my pure breeds didn't start to lay until they were well past 30 weeks!  The only early layers I ever have are the hybrids. Amberlinsk usually start to lay about 24-26 weeks, but the Babcocks and Goldlines (now known as Bovans Browns) have started as early as 16 weeks!

[evie2]

My 5, now 22 weeks old still haven't laid even though when I got them I was told they were laying.  I got very excited at 5 o'clock tonight when the 'I've laid an egg' sound came from the coop but no egg.  I even hoped the sound of the neighbours hens would encourage them!  Just one egg would be nice 

[Sassy]

My 5, now 22 weeks old still haven't laid even though when I got them I was told they were laying.  I got very excited at 5 o'clock tonight when the 'I've laid an egg' sound came from the coop but no egg.  I even hoped the sound of the neighbours hens would encourage them!  Just one egg would be nice 

It will happen it is early days yet

[goldnessy]

hello everyone.... it finally happened my brown sussex laid her first egg today after a couple of days of going on and off the nest. just need my light sussex to start laying now and then in a month or so my other five light sussex hens.

[Sassy]

Great! Don't eat it all at once!!!!