When does a chicken start laying eggs?

[AwesomeChickenGuy]

How old should chickens be when they start laying eggs? Well, at least around how old will they start laying eggs? I have a chicken thats 4-5 months old

 

[ScratchNbawk]

How old should chickens be when they start laying eggs? Well, at least around how old will they start laying eggs? I have a chicken thats 4-5 months old

It depends on the breed, but usually around 5 - 6 months. What breed do you have?

 

[AwesomeChickenGuy]

I'm pretty sure it's a lavender Ameraucana

 

[chickentrains]

whenever they feel like it

I have a 10 month old California white who hasn't laid a SINGLE egg.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Varies a ton. Chickens in general lay between 6-12 months of age. However, it depends on the breed a lot. A Barred Rock may begin lay early, at about 5-6 months, while Silkies tend to begin lay later, near 6-9 months of age. It depends on the bird too.

You can never say for sure when it will begin to lay, but there are some signs you can look for. A comb turning bright red, and increasing in size is an indicator that she is sexually mature. Squatting when you near her is instinctual behavior triggered when the egg laying cycle begins as well, and you probably don’t need me to tell you why she does it. Another great way to tell is the spacing between pelvic bones. That method is explained here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Depends on the breed and the individual bird. For example, my youngest layer was around nine months when she laid her first, and the rest were all between 11-12 months. But I’ve heard people have chickens lay as young as six months.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old should chickens be when they start laying eggs?

The youngest I've seen a pullet start to lay was 16 weeks. I've had that happen twice. The oldest I've had a pullet start to lay was 9 months. Any that took longer than that did not last so I don't know how long it would have taken them to start.

How old should they be? There is some personal preference involved but I prefer at least five months. By then their bodies have matured a bit and the eggs they lay are generally a little bigger than those that start earlier. I just think they are more prepared to lay if they wait a bit. But I assure you, nine months was extremely frustrating.

 

[AwesomeChickenGuy]

Does a double yolk egg require a rooster?

 

[aart]

Does a double yolk egg require a rooster?

No.
A double yolk egg happens when the bird release 2 ova at the same time.
Doesn't matter if they are fertilized or not.