[Casey76]

How old, or rather how young, is the youngest you ould expect a hen to lay?

I'm just asking because my little Jelly, who is only 14 weeks produced her first egg today.  Perfectly formed with a nice hard shell, and a cute little 33g.

I had my suspicions yesterday as she was sitting in a nest she had made in one of my dry compost heaps, and when I did a feather check, her vent was very moist.

But she is tiny, definitely the smallest out of all my chicks, and the least ready to lay I would have thought!

Oh, and she layed in her home made nest - of course I would prefer her to lay in the nesting boxes like the two big girls, but how can I encourage that?

[lucylou]

sounds like she is free range?

[Casey76]

Yes, all my chooks have free range of the garden from 7am til they put themselves to bed at dusk.  That way they can eat whatever greenery they like, nick my red, white and black currants hide under the conifer and make dust baths where ever they like (mainly under the pine tree and under the currant bushes).

I have fenced off any potential escape routes, but other than that they rule the place (or so my cats tell me )