The Poultry Keeper The Independent Forum for Poultry Keepers    FAQ   Search     Register   Log in  No eggs yet!          The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Eggs and Growers Author Message janette Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Richelieu Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 5:00 pm    Post subject: No eggs yet! I have my first two hens, I bought them from the local market and they were sold as 'point of lay' hens. But, 6 weeks later still no eggs! Is there any way of telling how old they are? as I am guessing they are younger than point of lay. Thanks Back to top Hen-Gen Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 205 Location: Derbyshire and Shetland Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 5:49 pm    Post subject: Hi Janette, Its a phrase that irritates me. People sell birds as POL when they are about 18 weeks old. It really means nothing because actual POL depends on breed, strain and time of year. Modern hybrids may well start laying at 23 weeks of age. It would be a rare Brahma, for example, that did this and 30 weeks would be good for this breed. Birds are also more prone to commence laying in summer than in mid winter when the days are short. So just keep going and hopefully you'll get an egg soon. Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1327 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:19 pm    Post subject: Re: No eggs yet! janette wrote: Is there any way of telling how old they are? as I am guessing they are younger than point of lay. Thanks Hi. You can vaguely age birds by the state of their legs - but this is ageing in years not weeks, basically the older they are the crustier and scalier their legs are, also they thicken with age, but as I say that is years. What are their combs like - red and upright means, laying or soon to be. Smaller and not so red means not yet. You can also feel their bums Pick one up and hold it under your arm with its bum facing forward, look under the tail and put your fingers flat against the anus, each side of it are the pin bones, the more fingers you can get between the pin bones, the better, two fingers = not laying, 3 fingers = promising , 4 fingers = where are the eggs Finally when you are in the pen with them make a sudden movement with your arm and a flat hand, or go to pick one up - if she squats in a funny way, she is squatting to be mounted by the cockerel - always a good sign, it means that she is ovulating, but it may take a week or two before you see an egg. This of couse wont work if you have a cockerel, but if you see him serving the girls then it means the same thing. Itsybitsy Back to top CP Moderator Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 14993 Location: Hampshire Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:21 pm    Post subject: Ditto - you got in before me Itsy! Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1327 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:32 pm    Post subject: Sorry Itsybitsy Back to top janette Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Richelieu Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:43 pm    Post subject: Thanks so much! Thanks so much Itsy for all the info. It happened today, I dropped the water trough when filling it and one of the hens squatted, so my fingers are now crossed for some eggs soon! Thanks again, your reply was really helpful, Janette Back to top CP Moderator Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 14993 Location: Hampshire Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:50 pm    Post subject: Itsybitsy wrote: Sorry Itsybitsy No worries! Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Eggs and Growers All times are GMT + 1 Hour Page 1 of 1 Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group