Chook Me!

Our chicks are about 6 months old when should they start laying eggs?

Our chicks have not started laying eggs yet and this is our first time raising chickens. Any help would be appreciated.We have 6 hens and 1 rooster.

Public Comments

1. that happened to me too but when I was least expecting it, they laid. Just give them LOTS of food and water, and give them straw in their pen to lay on. *I have 6 hens too
2. http://www.blurtit.com/q548877.html Be patient they will start when they are ready to start.
3. at about a year
4. Around now... keep your eyes peeled for that first egg! But if it's getting too dark (as winter is upon us!) they may lay off (lol, pun not intended) until they start getting more light. My chickens have a light that goes on from 4-9am in the morning and then goes on again from 6-10
5. Be sure that you are feeding them Layer Crumbles which helps to promote laying BUT here's the scoop. . . . . Chickens need a minimum of 14hrs light to also help to promote laying. Some people choose to mount a light that comes on by the use of a timer so to give the chickens that 14hrs light daily especially since the days are now starting to get shorter. I don't need the eggs that bad so I leave everything as Mother Nature intended and take what eggs I do manage to get even throughout the winter months. I feed my chickens an equal mixture of Scratch (mixed grains) and Layer Crumbles. I then mix in Oyster Shell which helps to strengthen the egg shell. . . . I mix about 5lbs of Oyster Shell to my mixture of 50lb Scratch and 50 lbs of Layer Crumbles. I supplement their diet with ocassional diced up fresh veggies/fruit and allow them to graze on grass/bugs (when I am here to watch over them to protect them from predators). In the winter time when grass isn't as green,I will supplement their diet with alfalfa. The greenery helps to make their egg yolks a prettier yellow than those we buy in the grocery stores. Good Luck
6. Your birds should start soon if not already may be laying some where in the yard but you haven't found yet birds start around 5 months but need some laying pellets to help this process along plus a good quality scratch feed ( mixture of corn rye barley wheat ) a type grain feed, also oyster shell or grit needs to be within this feed. Let free rome and allow to scratch around have several nest boxes for them to set in to lay this egg with hat I don't use straw its to stiff and hard for birds to make a good sized nest mine like hay alot better. If have a coop please place in at night for the birds safety sine other critters will come for a meal if get the chance and this does happen. Then when it gets daylight let the birds out all day to free rome and peck & scratch and eat.When the birds understand this they will return to the coop each night on there own and be ready to be realized each day.They also need a roost to sit on while in the coop at night if not in a coop the birds will find a high spot and go up there to roost they like to be able to see below themselves the roo is the watcher. Most times in a tree if none around a roof.It could be the breed you have or the birds are not old enough at this time .But it will happen soon Good Luck with your new feathered friends.
7. chickens become point of lay from 18 weeks, so your chickens can start to lay at any time now. I think my first chickens were about 24 weeks when I had my first eggs off them.