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July 20, 2012
Ready For Eggs?
Summer has arrived and your spring chicks will be approaching puberty. Assuming they’ve enjoyed good food and care, the young hens, called pullets, begin laying sometime between their 16th and 24th week of age.
 
You can anticipate the arrival of eggs soon! Discovering a hen’s egg from your own hand-raised chicks is a thrill. Pullet eggs are tiny and look like gems in the nest.
 
Are your pullets ready to lay eggs? Here’s how to tell:
  1. Chickens will be between 16-24 weeks old
  2. Pullets look full grow with clean, new feathers
  3. Combs and wattles have swollen and are a deep, red color
  4. Bones in the hen’s pelvis will begin to separate.
To check if the hen’s pelvis bones have begun to separate, cradle the hen between your side and arm with the hen facing your back so you see its rear end. Carefully hold the bird’s feet so it can’t kick. Place your other hand gently on the hen’s rear end. If three prominent bones are close together, don’t expect eggs for a few more weeks, but if the bones have separated, expect eggs soon!
 
Pullets like to lay eggs in privacy, and it’s important to have nest boxes in place before the first egg arrives. These can be purchased or made of lumber and should be approximately 10-12 inches square and about 18-inches deep. Install one nest box for every two hens and place them from one to three feet above the floor. Line the nests with straw, dried grass, wood chips or even shredded paper to help keep the eggs clean. 

Connie Copeland - 2012-08-09 22:07:46
That little snippet on how to check the hens for laying was great. Thank you!
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