Do you have young spring chickens at home? If so, I bet you’re eagerly waiting for those fresh eggs to arrive…. and I don’t blame you! Home-raised backyard chicken eggs can’t be beat. Looking for clues on when your chickens will start laying eggs? Keep reading to find out what to look for. We’ll talk about the average age that chickens start to lay eggs, how breed plays a role, and a few tell-tale signs that eggs are on the way.
Remember that every chicken is different, and you can’t make them grow up faster. So be patient, and enjoy their teenage years while they last. Be sure to check out the video of Phoebe laying an egg at the end of this post!.
A good chicken owner should be able to tell which of their hens are actively laying eggs. There are different, more or less accurate ways to tell if a hen is laying eggs or not. This guide will tell you all the important things, methods, and signs to look for when judging the egg production of your flock.
Physical Signs
There are several physical characteristics and changes to look for that indicate a hen is laying eggs Here are some of the main ones
Comb and Wattle Color
- The comb and wattles on a laying hen will be large, red, and glossy. As chickens age, these areas may pale or shrink if egg production declines.
Vent
- The vent (or cloaca) of a laying hen will be moist, oval-shaped, and about 1 inch wide. On a non-laying hen, the vent will be dry, round, and puckered.
Pubic Bones
- Use your fingers to feel the distance between the pubic bones on either side of the vent. There should be 2-3 finger widths between the bones on a layer. Pubic bones close together often indicate a non-layer.
Plumage Condition
- Laying hens will often have worn, broken feathers on their back and around their vent. Feather quality diminishes as calcium and protein are diverted to eggs rather than feathers.
Bleaching and Pigmentation
- In some breeds, areas like legs, beaks, and vents will fade and bleach out when a hen stops laying. Lack of pigmentation or paler color can signify a non-layer.
Molting
- Molting hens stop laying temporarily. If 10-20% or more of feathers are being replaced, she is probably not laying currently.
Behavioral Signs
Along with physical indications, there are behavioral clues that can help identify laying hens:
Nesting Behavior
- Laying hens will spend more time nesting, arranging bedding, and visiting nest boxes right before laying an egg. Non-layers will not exhibit this behavior.
Vocalizations
- Layers may become more noisy and talkative leading up to laying as hormones fluctuate. Listen for distinct loud vocalizations.
Broodiness
- A broody, clucky hen will stop laying and sit on a nest for extended periods. This signals she is taking a break from egg production.
Foraging Activity
- Laying hens tend to be active foragers outside of nesting periods. Non-layers will often appear more sedentary and less motivated to feed.
Interactions with Rooster
- If present, a laying hen will be regularly courted and mated by a rooster. Non-layers receive less attention.
Trap Nesting
- You can definitively identify layers by using trap nesting boxes that contain the hen for a short period after laying. This identifies the hen.
Factors Affecting Laying
When evaluating your flock, also keep these factors affecting laying frequency and performance in mind:
Age
- Younger pullets under 17 weeks old are too immature to lay. Laying peak at 1-2 years old before gradually declining with age over 2-3 years.
Breed
- Some breeds like Leghorns are bred specifically for high egg yields, while others like Cochins have lower laying potential. Know your breed characteristics.
Time of Year
- Egg production drops in late fall and winter as daylight hours decrease. Expect 25-50% less production in darker months.
Diet
- Deficiencies or imbalance in protein, calcium, or other nutrients can cause drops in laying frequency. Provide layer feed.
Stress
- Heat, overcrowding, relocation, molting, broodiness, parasites, predators, and illness are all stressors that can temporarily stop laying.
Individual Hen Differences
- Like all animals, each hen has slightly different laying potential and rates. Some will simply lay less or take longer breaks than flock mates.
Action Plan for Non-Layers
If you know for sure that a hen has stopped laying eggs or is consistently not laying many, you can do one of the following:
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Cull non-productive hens from the flock so they do not consume resources.
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Allow hen to take a natural break from laying to molt and rejuvenate.
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Isolate non-layer to observe if issue is stress-related or competition for resources in main flock.
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Check for potential health issues like parasites, infections, or nutritional deficiencies.
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Trade hen out with a productive pullet if aging hen needs replacing.
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Accept that some hens have inherently lower laying rates than others. Adjust expectations.
Determining laying status takes keen observation of physical indicators, behavior, and laying conditions. While not an exact science, you can evaluate your flock for the signs covered here to identify layers from non-layers. Focus on vent appearance, feathering, pigmentation, nesting drive, vocalizations, and activity level as your best indicators. By separating dependable layers from sporadic producers, you can better provide for and predict your egg yield.
Time of year and egg-laying
The majority of young chickens will start laying eggs the first year that you have them. Yet if you happen to get your chicks later in the year (summer or fall) and they come into maturity during darker, colder days of fall or winter, they may wait until the following spring to start laying eggs!.
Adult chickens usually stop laying eggs in the winter when there are fewer daylight hours. They do this to save energy and nutrients for the cold winter ahead. During a winter break from laying, you’ll also notice the chicken’s combs and wattles become smaller and pale again, swinging with their hormones. However, it isn’t uncommon for young chickens to continue laying eggs right through their first winter! Then, they’ll probably take a break the following winter after that.
Curious to learn more about caring for chickens in winter, including tips for winterizing a chicken coop? Check out this article all keeping chickens warm in cold weather. If you want to “force” chickens to keep laying eggs through the winter, please don’t light the coop. Their bodies know best, and need a natural break.
She May Get Louder
Have you heard a chicken “egg song” yet? I find it funny that crowing roosters are banned in many urban areas, because hens can be damn vocal too! (Though I’ve read there is something more jarring and irritating about the tone of a rooster crow than hen songs to most people). Our chickens sing and squawk for hours before and after they lay an egg. So, before your young chickens start laying eggs, they may become increasingly talkative too.
As a young hen gears up to start laying eggs, her body will go through numerous changes – inside and out. The process of forming and laying eggs takes a lot of energy! So, you may notice your maturing chickens begin to eat more than usual. Laying hens have different nutritional needs than younger pullets or chicks. Younger birds eat “starter” and “grower” feeds that contain higher levels of protein to support their rapid growth. Layer feeds have slightly less protein, and a little extra calcium for proper eggshell formation. Therefore, gradually transition your chickens to a layer feed when they reach 18 weeks of age – or when the first egg arrives, whichever occurs first.
I also suggest putting out a source of free-choice calcium (such as crushed oyster shells or eggshells) either as soon as one hen starts laying eggs, or when you begin to notice the other tell-tale signs that eggs are coming soon. Check out this article to learn more about providing essential calcium for laying hens. We love having.
Find Out Which Hen Is Laying!
FAQ
How do you know when a chicken is about to start laying?
A chicken about to lay its first egg will show several physical and behavioral changes. These include a bright red, bigger comb and wattles, squatting when approached, making more noise, and being obsessed with nesting boxes.
How do chickens act before they lay?
When pullets are nearing their first egg lay, their behavior changes. They may spend more time with the rooster, crouch for breeding or investigate the nesting area. At this time, keep them in the coop for short periods of time.
At what age can you tell if a chicken is a rooster?
While some breeds may show signs earlier, you can usually tell if a chicken is a rooster between 8 and 12 weeks of age, when saddle feathers start developing. By 12 weeks, most roosters will have noticeable saddle feathers (long and pointed).
How do you know if a hen is laying?
Look at her legs, beak, and face. A hen who is laying will have a dull-looking beak, legs, and face. A hen who is vibrantly colored in these areas is sadly not laying. A hen who is laying will be putting all of her energy and extra calcium into producing eggs – not into looking pretty.
How can you tell if a chicken is laying eggs?
If you want to be sure that a chicken is laying eggs, look at the length and color of her wattles. Vibrant red wattles are a strong indication that your hen is laying. Another way is to simply check if she lays an egg in front of you.
What does a laying hen look like?
In laying hens, they will be all worn and ratty from all the back and forth in the nest box. You might see broken shafts, missing sections, or simply a ratty appearance. A hen that has been laying eggs, on the other hand, usually has the area around her behind and chest looking spotless and fluffy.
Why is my hen not laying?
Secondly, a hen that has lost the vibrant red in her comb and wattles may have stopped laying. In yellow-legged breeds, the yellow pigment will return back to their vent, eye-ring, beak, legs and feet (in that order) when the hen is no longer laying. A hen that is not laying may also have a pale comb, especially if they are too young to lay.
What is a good indicator that a chicken might start laying soon?
These two pullets are from the same hatch, but the pullet on the right looks like she might lay soon. Her waddles are longer and more red than the pullet on the left. Besides the hens laying an egg in front of me, the bright red wattles are the best way for me to tell if my chickens are laying.
How do you know if a hen is a good layer?
The pelvic bone test, because it measures a much more gradual change than the vent test, is a more reliable indicator of which hens are good layers and which ones aren’t. It can be useful to check the vent. A moist, large, oval-shaped vent indicates that the hen recently laid an egg.