First Egg Likely? Even in November?

[Winderdear]

Hello all! My four girls are 22 weeks today received as day old chicks on 6/13. My Cuckoo Marans, Juillet, has become much more vocal this past week and is squatting when we go to pet her. She always crouched and tried to slink away, but now she sometimes just stands still and gets really flat all of a sudden when I get close. I assume this means eggs are imminent, but how soon? Because of how late it is in the year, I assumed I wouldn’t get eggs until the days lengthened. Is it possible for her to have this behavior and still not lay an egg until next year, or does this behavior mean she will lay for me sooner rather than later? We aren’t using supplemental light, if that’s relevant. I’m honestly a little terrified for them to start laying in case they have some issue, but I’m the worrying type.

Here are some pictures of my flock from a couple days ago. Feel free to guess when they’ll lay their first egg! I’ll be sure to update when they do!

Juillet (Cuckoo Marans):

Août (Blue Cuckoo Marans):


Mei (Welsummer):


Juin (Dominique):


P.S. Aren’t they just lovely to look at?

 

[Debbie292d]

Gorgeous chickens!!

It really is a crap shoot when our fluffy butts will lay eggs. This time of year, we have some that shut down, and others that will be laying all winter. Who knows why? We do not alter their timing by use of lights. I make sure they get probiotics and calcium, and keep the coop from freezing. We ferment their scratch grains. They're on Kalmbach layer crumbles mixed with their all flock. I don't think there's a magic wand here or anything you could be doing wrong as when they're ready, they'll lay.

 

[Winderdear]

Gorgeous chickens!!

It really is a crap shoot when our fluffy butts will lay eggs. This time of year, we have some that shut down, and others that will be laying all winter. Who knows why? We do not alter their timing by use of lights. I make sure they get probiotics and calcium, and keep the coop from freezing. We ferment their scratch grains. They're on Kalmbach layer crumbles mixed with their all flock. I don't think there's a magic wand here or anything you could be doing wrong as when they're ready, they'll lay.

Thank you! I wonder if Juillet will just behave like this from now on and not lay for a couple of months. How soon after squatting and reddening up (on average) do your chickens typically lay?

 

[aart]

I assume this means eggs are imminent, but how soon? Because of how late it is in the year, I assumed I wouldn’t get eggs until the days lengthened.

They may wait until longer days....or not.
After squatting and/or pelvic bone spread, it can be days to weeks.

Do they free range always?
Any messing of the coop nests(assuming they have them)?
The nest messing is the ultimate signal that eggs are imminent.

 

[Winderdear]

They may wait until longer days....or not.
After squatting and/or pelvic bone spread, it can be days to weeks.

Do they free range always?
Any messing of the coop nests(assuming they have them)?
The nest messing is the ultimate signal that eggs are imminent.

Thank you for your reply!

They get to free range a couple times a day, but always attended by either myself or my husband, and we watch them closely. They otherwise stay in a covered run about 12’x20’, which has a large compost pile for them to warm up on and a bedding of grass and leaves to scratch around in.

I recently put some softer grasses in their nesting boxes, and I’ve found that one box in particular always has the grass pulled out by the time I put them to bed. I found one of my Welsummer Mei’s enormous tail feathers in there, and she’s always liked to lay on this grass when I put it in their run, so I assume it was her just looking for a new spot to lounge on. Maybe she’s getting close too though!

When I put the grass in the boxes, Juillet came to check it out right away, and popped her head out of the open lid while I was filling them. No idea if she’s been back since though, and that was days ago. She’s usually not super curious about what I’m doing, so it surprised me.

This is probably a question for another thread, but how big should the nest boxes be? It seems like it will be hard for my girls to turn around in the ones that are in my prefab coop, Juillet in particular is a behemoth. I think they’re about 1’ square, maybe smaller. I’m considering removing some of the dividers between the boxes and making a couple of them double the width. Bad idea?

 

[aart]

I think they’re about 1’ square, maybe smaller. I’m considering removing some of the dividers between the boxes and making a couple of them double the width. Bad idea?

Pics and dimensions would be good.
12" cube is a standard, smaller can work, a bit bigger is better IMO.
Turning around before laying, especially new layers, is standard but 'bending' the tail a bit isn't a deal breaker.
Mine are 14 x 14 x 16 tall.
Did you know that they will almost stand upright as the egg actually emerges?

 

[Winderdear]

Pics and dimensions would be good.
12" cube is a standard, smaller can work, a bit bigger is better IMO.
Turning around before laying, especially new layers, is standard but 'bending' the tail a bit isn't a deal breaker.
Mine are 14 x 14 x 16 tall.
Did you know that they will almost stand upright as the egg actually emerges?

I had no idea! Juillet is quite tall, so that may be an issue. I will measure the boxes tomorrow hopefully, maybe get a picture of it from the inside, and let you know.

It’s Mennonite built, the type with a row of nesting boxes at floor level with a lid. It’s very cute but perhaps less practical than I had hoped. My husband might be able to raise the height of the lid and make them taller if needed. The floor starts at the base of the door, so it’s actually not as roomy as it looks. This picture was taken before the run was built:



We’re dealing with our sick elderly cat at the moment, so please excuse me if I don’t get back to you tomorrow with the measurements as planned. I really appreciate all of you advice! Thank you so much!

*Editted to add that we put a secure latch on the nesting box lid with a carabiner to keep it locked before our chickens were moved in. It’s very secure now!

 

[aart]

I had no idea! Juillet is quite tall, so that may be an issue. I will measure the boxes tomorrow hopefully, maybe get a picture of it from the inside, and let you know.

It’s Mennonite built, the type with a row of nesting boxes at floor level with a lid. It’s very cute but perhaps less practical than I had hoped. My husband might be able to raise the height of the lid and make them taller if needed. The floor starts at the base of the door, so it’s actually not as roomy as it looks. This picture was taken before the run was built:

View attachment 3683299

We’re dealing with our sick elderly cat at the moment, so please excuse me if I don’t get back to you tomorrow with the measurements as planned. I really appreciate all of you advice! Thank you so much!

*Editted to add that we put a secure latch on the nesting box lid with a carabiner to keep it locked before our chickens were moved in. It’s very secure now!

I'd bet the height is fine, looking fowrard to seeing dimensions.

 

[tlcmurphy]

The nest box height looks fine to me too. Ours are 12”X12” but I’ve never measured the height. I had no idea chickens actually stand up to lay eggs until I caught one in the act!
I have a Welsummer and 2 Buff Orpingtons now, and had a Cuckoo Marans until he other girls drove her away. They all lay beautiful eggs

 

[RedwoodCoastChick]

Hello all! My four girls are 22 weeks today received as day old chicks on 6/13. My Cuckoo Marans, Juillet, has become much more vocal this past week and is squatting when we go to pet her. She always crouched and tried to slink away, but now she sometimes just stands still and gets really flat all of a sudden when I get close. I assume this means eggs are imminent, but how soon? Because of how late it is in the year, I assumed I wouldn’t get eggs until the days lengthened. Is it possible for her to have this behavior and still not lay an egg until next year, or does this behavior mean she will lay for me sooner rather than later? We aren’t using supplemental light, if that’s relevant. I’m honestly a little terrified for them to start laying in case they have some issue, but I’m the worrying type.

Here are some pictures of my flock from a couple days ago. Feel free to guess when they’ll lay their first egg! I’ll be sure to update when they do!

Juillet (Cuckoo Marans):
View attachment 3683156
Août (Blue Cuckoo Marans):
View attachment 3683159

Mei (Welsummer):
View attachment 3683162

Juin (Dominique):
View attachment 3683164

P.S. Aren’t they just lovely to look at?

They are all absolutely GORGEOUS girls! Aout is particularly stunning, wow!

My 8 pullets (7 different breeds) didn't start laying till September (spring babies) and the first strong cues were red combs and then squatting (especially by the shy, flighty girls, who were suddenly fine with being petted and picked up: "Please be my rooster!" Raging hormones, my husband laughed.)

The pubic bone spread was very tell-tale! But as Aart noted, once I started finding them messing around and hanging out in the previously-ignored nest boxes, eggs soon followed. [They're just starting to slow down a bit as we lose daylight, 4-5 eggs a day vs. 7 or 8.]

Hope to hear that your girls start laying soon!