Waiting for a chicken to start laying eggs can seem like an eternity. The blessed event may take anywhere from four months to eight months, depending on the chicken’s breed. However, as a hen approaches laying age, she begins to show certain signs that will tell you eggs are on the way. Here’s a guide to what to look for if you’re anxious to known when a chicken will start laying eggs.
The influence of breed on when a chicken will start laying eggs.
Exactly when a healthy chicken will start laying eggs depends, in large part, on her breed. Chicken breeds that are developed primarily for high egg production may start laying soon after they reach four months of age.
Many backyard breeds start laying at the age of about 5 months. Chicken breeds that are slow to develop to maturity may not lay until the age of about 8 months, or even later.
Other influences on when laying starts.
- The chickens’ living conditions.
- A hen’s body condition.
- The layers’ diet.
- The flock’s overall stress level.
- Variations among individual hens.
Why laying may be delayed.
- The coop needs to be cleaned and ventilated.
- The pullets are too thin or too fat.
- Pullets receive improper nutrition.
- Young pullets are bullied by older hens.
- Individual pullets aren’t ready to lay yet.
How to tell eggs are on the way.
A pullet (young hen) that is ready to start laying eggs will display several distinct signs:
- The pullet will be nearly full size for her breed.
- She will have developed a complete set of shiny adult plumage.
- Her small, pinkish comb will grow larger and redder.
- She may begin to sing or otherwise become more vocal.
- She will investigate possible nesting sites.
- Her pubic bones will separate to make room for eggs to pass.
- Her vent become larger and more moist.
- She will crouch down to be mated.
As a pullet approaches age of lay.
The purpose of laying eggs, from a hen’s point of view, is to produce chicks. A hen that is about to start laying will therefore instinctively want her eggs to be fertile. If a rooster comes near, she will crouch down to be mated. If your flock has no rooster, she may crouch for another hen, or even for you.
Her pubic bones — the pair of pointy bones located below the breast, near the vent — will increase in flexibility and spread apart to make room for eggs to pass through. By the time the pullet is ready to start laying, you should be able to place at least three fingers between her pubic bones, or two fingers if she is a small breed. At the same time, her vent will expand and become moist.
As her time approaches, she’ll begin peering into dark corners of the coop or wandering in and out of nest boxes, maybe even sitting there for a short time as a sort of trial run. Providing well-designed nest boxes by the time pullets are 4 months old helps ensure that they won’t lay eggs on the coop floor in soiled litter.
The first eggs — what to expect.
Once a pullet starts laying, her reproductive system requires a few days to fully gear up. Her first eggs may be look weird, but any of these features is perfectly normal:
- Egg is much smaller than usual, with a tiny yolk
- Or it contains no yolk at all
- The egg includes a spot of blood
- The egg has an odd shape
- The shell is soft and rubbery
- The shell is rough or looks powdery
Assuming the flock is managed for healthy egg laying, within about two weeks after a chicken starts laying, her eggs should reach the normal size and shape for her breed. Each egg a hen lays is an exciting event, but never quite as exciting as finding a pullet’s first egg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you eat a chicken’s first egg?
Yes, usually you can eat a chicken’s first egg. However, it may be quite small and/or may contain no yolk. However, if the egg white is green or iridescent it may be spoiled with bacteria — toss it. Likewise, if the shell is cracked, the egg could be contaminated, so dispose of it.
What are signs of stress in laying hens?
Any change in the chickens’ normal behavior can indicate excessive stress. Some indications of a high stress level include poor growth or weight loss, pacing, scruffy appearance, lethargy, and reduced egg production. In young pullets a common source of stress is being bullied by older hens.
Is a rooster necessary for chickens to lay eggs?
No, a rooster isn’t necessary for a hen to start laying. A hen will lay eggs whether or not the flock includes a rooster.
Is it possible for a hen to never lay eggs?
Yes, but it means something is very wrong. She could be receiving poor nutrition, have been born with some physical anomaly, or have a disease that inhibits egg production. Time to consult an avian veterinarian.
What stimulates chickens to start laying eggs?
Chickens are stimulated to start laying eggs primarily when they reach the age of maturity. A chicken that hatches in spring will usually reach maturity, thus start laying eggs, in the fall. Chicks that hatch in the fall won’t start laying until the following year.
Helpful Links
How to Feed Pullets for Optimal Egg Production
10 Features Laying Hens Look for in a Perfect Nesting Box
12 Chicken Breeds with the Best Layers
And that’s today’s news from the Cackle Coop.
Gail Damerow has raised chickens and various other poultry for more than 5 decades and has written numerous books about them, many available from the Cackle Bookstore.
