[buggie]

please help
i am new to keeping chickens and went and got a rode island red & a rocky hen
which i have had for a week now  but i havent had any eggs yet
do they take time to settle in before producing eggs?

[joyfull]

Hi, how old are they? Most don't start laying until they are between 18 and 23 weeks.
Oh and welcome by the way. Don't forget to post a photo of your girls as we are all very inquisitive (or nosey  ) and love looking at chucks.

[janeheritage]

Hi Buggie.

I bought 4 chooks at "point of lay". They were between 16 and 20 weeks old. The eldest laid within 2 weeks but I had to wait 5 weeks for the other girls.

You know they are ready to lay when their combs and wattles swell and get brighter red. Also they start checking out the nest box!

Keep feeding them, they will reward you eventually 

[Bruced]

Also they start checking out the nest box!

...if you are lucky. My first day with a full complement of eggs was one in nest box, one broken in run, one on lawn. They are mocking my golf-ball set up and laughing behind my back. I know it.

[janeheritage]

An egg on the lawn sounds cool! 

[buggie]

i think they are 14-20 weeks old
thanks for the information

[joyfull]

You may have a few weeks wait yet then , but not to worry their eggs when they do start to come will be the tastiest and freshest eggs you've ever tasted 

[Roughlee Handled]

POL is 16-19 weeks old depending on who you talk to and breed. But a chuck can take up to 24 weeks to lay. 
What are you feeding them?
Oh and do not give too many treats as a fat hen never lays.

[buggie]

i am feeding them a mix of small holder range poultry grower pellets with a bit of organic mixed corn also some vegi scraps is this too much

[Roughlee Handled]

I would be moving them over to layer pellets.
Growers help them grow and have all the nutrients to get big.
Layers help them lay and have all the nutrients to lay.
Always leave pellets out for the chickens and remove at night (to reduce rodents eating them)
One handful of corn a day max. That is for both and give it in the afternoon/evening.
Veg scraps are ok.
Do they have access to grass?

[buggie]

i move there coop around the garden 2 times a week so they have new grass to scratch about in
also i we are in the garden i let them out
they seem quite happy but i am a bit worried about the 3 foxes we have living next door
havnt seen any around the chicken coop yet but i am sure it wont be long before they try getting in

[Roughlee Handled]

If you have a skirt on your run this may stop the fox from trying to dig under in the day.  Always make sure that your chucks are put away at night with the coop door closed.

[buggie]

i also have an electric wire round my coop which i put on when we are not around

[Roughlee Handled]

That is good, but if the fox has all four legs off the ground (climbing) then they will not get a shock. The fox will have to be creating a circuit between the ground and wire for it to get a shock.  Not trying to teach you to suck eggs.
I tested my wire and against the fence wire as I thought there would have been enough earth between them but there was not I had to run another wire (earth) around

[buggie]

got my first eggs today nothing for 2 weeks then 2 come along at one
had them fryed yum yum 
is it normal for chickens to lay 2 eggs