Author Topic: how long to settle in ? (Read 2050 times)

terryh · « **on:** April 14, 2010, 11:43:18 am »

hi guys
a few will remember i bought 4 x 30 supposedly? week old chickens from an auction last Wednesday 7th april
how long do they take to settle in and start laying again we have had 1 egg every day except yesterday ?

terry

doganjo · « **Reply #1 on:** April 14, 2010, 04:47:11 pm »

Hi Terry, settling in can vary. I find my ex batts settle very quickly and start laying regularly after about a week (usually have a few eggs first two days but they are already 'in the pipeline'

you might say), but I've had others that took a few weeks to settle down into a regular laying pattern. They may well be 30 weeks as not all breeds come to point of lay at 20 weeks.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #2 on:** April 14, 2010, 06:58:32 pm »

My first 3 settled in quite quickly but I think they were older than the breeder said

my latest batch of 8 took at least a fortnight and I agree, not all birds start to lay at that time its just an average I guess. and my newest girls have laid some right diddy eggs to start with!! only recently have they started to lay ones that I can sell at the farm gate

terryh · « **Reply #3 on:** April 14, 2010, 08:03:52 pm »

thanks guys

guess what all 4 hens laid an egg today im very happy now
they have a choice of 2 nest boxes but all laid in one box they must have been queuing up

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #4 on:** April 14, 2010, 08:05:37 pm »

mine do that! they all seem to favour one box. they have a choice of 4 but literally queue on a perch waiting - sometimes you find them piled on top of each other trying to all squeeze in

glad to hear you got a full quote today

MiriMaran · « **Reply #5 on:** April 14, 2010, 08:22:52 pm »

Mine all pile into together, but I guess they can't always wait!

doganjo · « **Reply #6 on:** April 14, 2010, 11:49:13 pm »

I had a few boxes at my last place - a huge barn - but here I just have one next box, and guess what sometimes there are 5 eggs in it, sometimes only 2 or 3 but the shed floor is covered in straw so I usually find more there when i'm cleaning.