# How Old Are My New To Me Chickens and laying ?



## jellybeaner (Mar 17, 2013)

Hey everyone! I'm brand new to raising chickens and currently have six 1 1/2 week old RIR chicks and three days ago bought six grown chickens (2 white longhorns, 2 RIR, and 2 black orpingtons). I was looking for a chicken coop on Craigslist and they were selling the coop and chickens together. Now, they said the chickens were all a year old but none have layed yet. For the previous owners or me. I don't expect them to lay for me yet because of the move but I am concerned that they are a year old and never layed for the previous owners. 

So I'm wondering if maybe the age is incorrect? I'll attach some pics and hopefully someone can give me a better idea of how old they are or what to expect. I live in central AZ so cold has not been a factor. Maybe we still aren't getting enough hours of daylight though? Thanks in advance!!


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## jellybeaner (Mar 17, 2013)

Shoot okay trying to figure out how to add pics from my phone.


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## jellybeaner (Mar 17, 2013)




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## AlexTS113 (Feb 17, 2013)

Love the pics! Sent you a private message!


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## AlexTS113 (Feb 17, 2013)

I love the pics! By the way, I sent you a private message about the coop!


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I would assume that the previous owner was not giving them layer pellets. Their combs are pretty pail. I would give them decent feed, cracked corn, scratch mix. And wait a couple weeks. They should lay for you in now time.


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

I agree with Apyl. Layer pellets for sure!


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## RiverOtter54 (Feb 7, 2013)

Apyl said:


> I would assume that the previous owner was not giving them layer pellets. Their combs are pretty pail. I would give them decent feed, cracked corn, scratch mix. And wait a couple weeks. They should lay for you in now time.


Is cracked corn different then scratch? Scratch is NOT cracked corn?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

RiverOtter54 said:


> Is cracked corn different then scratch? Scratch is NOT cracked corn?


Cracked corn is just that, cracked dried corn. Scratch is a mix of grains no corn.


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## RiverOtter54 (Feb 7, 2013)

Apyl said:


> Cracked corn is just that, cracked dried corn. Scratch is a mix of grains no corn.


As always thanks much Apyl!!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

The bag of scratch I buy has cracked corn in it, mixed with other grains as well.


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## ArticStrat (Mar 7, 2013)

Good looking birds, they look well taken care of, so I would think that you will get eggs shortly, with the layer feed.


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## lancetrace (Jan 12, 2013)

The white leghorn looks like she can lay anytime. Those are great looking chickens.


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## jellybeaner (Mar 17, 2013)

Thanks for the replies everyone! The previous owners actually were giving them layer pellets because they gave us the half full bag when we bought them. But they weren't giving them any scratch so my husband picked some up yesterday that had the cracked corn in it as well. He also picked up some oyster shells. The birds attacked the scratch like they hadn't eaten in days  So you do think they are about a year old? Maybe they weren't giving them layers pellets until this bag they just gave us? Anyway, they seem happy so I'll just be patient. Thanks all!!


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## jellybeaner (Mar 17, 2013)

Yay!!! We got our first egg!!! It's small but I was expecting that. One of the white leghorns laid it, lancetrace called it!!!

They were making such a ruckus this morning. Actually I think it was mainly the one white leghorn and that got the others going. The two white leghorns also kept flying up on the dividing wall between our yard and the neighbors' (about 6ft high) so we ended up clipping all 6 chickens' right wings. That stopped that. I was worried that they'd fly into our neighbors' yards and they all have dogs :-/

Anyway, the one hen kept going into the coop and in and out of he nesting boxes all morning and then she stayed in one for about 20 minutes and then came out. I went and checked and sure enough there was an egg! I was so excited!!!


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## Ddavis113 (Mar 14, 2013)

jellybeaner said:


> Hey everyone! I'm brand new to raising chickens and currently have six 1 1/2 week old RIR chicks and three days ago bought six grown chickens (2 white longhorns, 2 RIR, and 2 black orpingtons). I was looking for a chicken coop on Craigslist and they were selling the coop and chickens together. Now, they said the chickens were all a year old but none have layed yet. For the previous owners or me. I don't expect them to lay for me yet because of the move but I am concerned that they are a year old and never layed for the previous owners.
> 
> So I'm wondering if maybe the age is incorrect? I'll attach some pics and hopefully someone can give me a better idea of how old they are or what to expect. I live in central AZ so cold has not been a factor. Maybe we still aren't getting enough hours of daylight though? Thanks in advance!!


Where in Phoenix are you? We live in Gilbert, I'm trying to talk my wife in getting some hens but thinks they will be in our neighbors yards too. I'm not real sure on the poultry laws and don't want to invest the money to turn around and sell them.


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## birdguy (Jan 15, 2013)

jellybeaner said:


> Yay!!! We got our first egg!!! It's small but I was expecting that. One of the white leghorns laid it, lancetrace called it!!!
> 
> They were making such a ruckus this morning. Actually I think it was mainly the one white leghorn and that got the others going. The two white leghorns also kept flying up on the dividing wall between our yard and the neighbors' (about 6ft high) so we ended up clipping all 6 chickens' right wings. That stopped that. I was worried that they'd fly into our neighbors' yards and they all have dogs :-/
> 
> Anyway, the one hen kept going into the coop and in and out of he nesting boxes all morning and then she stayed in one for about 20 minutes and then came out. I went and checked and sure enough there was an egg! I was so excited!!!


I live on Phoenix as well


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## jellybeaner (Mar 17, 2013)

Hey Ddavis113 and birdguy! I live in Gilbert and the fowl laws for gilbert are:

MINIMUM AREA (FOWL AND RODENTS): On each lot up to 20,000 sq ft any combination of up to 25 fowl and rodents are permitted. For each additional 20,000 sq ft, you are allowed a further 25.

I found info at the following links:

http://chickenscratchranch.com/resources/chicken-and-poultry-laws-in-arizona/

http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=12036

But, if you have an HOA you'll have to check with their regulations on permitting fowl.

birdguy,

Have you had chickens long? Any advice for the upcoming summer and how to keep my girls cool and happy?


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## birdguy (Jan 15, 2013)

jellybeaner said:


> Hey Ddavis113 and birdguy! I live in Gilbert and the fowl laws for gilbert are:
> 
> MINIMUM AREA (FOWL AND RODENTS): On each lot up to 20,000 sq ft any combination of up to 25 fowl and rodents are permitted. For each additional 20,000 sq ft, you are allowed a further 25.
> 
> ...


Bissau recently got more we live on two acres and i only have 8 at the moment id say just a lot of shade and always obviously have water on hand


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## lancetrace (Jan 12, 2013)

jellybeaner said:


> Yay!!! We got our first egg!!! It's small but I was expecting that. One of the white leghorns laid it, lancetrace called it!!!
> 
> They were making such a ruckus this morning. Actually I think it was mainly the one white leghorn and that got the others going. The two white leghorns also kept flying up on the dividing wall between our yard and the neighbors' (about 6ft high) so we ended up clipping all 6 chickens' right wings. That stopped that. I was worried that they'd fly into our neighbors' yards and they all have dogs :-/
> 
> Anyway, the one hen kept going into the coop and in and out of he nesting boxes all morning and then she stayed in one for about 20 minutes and then came out. I went and checked and sure enough there was an egg! I was so excited!!!


That is so funny. My sister guessed my leghorn by pictures of her wattles. I never have problems with my hens flying over my fence since they started laying. Weird. I clipped some flyers but haven't in awhile. Only Henry my rooster does a and that's cause he comes to visit me when I get home. Only for a minute then he's back with his girls. My girls pace the fence and go up and down the roost for awhile til they finally lay. My leghorn never made it in the nesting box the first couple times so that's cool your girl did. -I'm Tracy by the way.


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## Ddavis113 (Mar 14, 2013)

jellybeaner said:


> Hey Ddavis113 and birdguy! I live in Gilbert and the fowl laws for gilbert are:
> 
> MINIMUM AREA (FOWL AND RODENTS): On each lot up to 20,000 sq ft any combination of up to 25 fowl and rodents are permitted. For each additional 20,000 sq ft, you are allowed a further 25.
> 
> ...


Awesome thanks, going to start putting more pressure on my wife to get some hens!


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## jellybeaner (Mar 17, 2013)

So we've had the girls about a week and a half and today we got 4 eggs! Two white and two brown  Both white leghorns have been laying for a few days now and we got our first brown egg yesterday and today we got two! I don't known if the RIRs or the australopes are doing the laying (maybe one of each) because they've laid them when I wasn't home. Either way I'm excited!


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