# What age to they start laying?



## Ezio (May 29, 2013)

I have five hens (one may be a rooster, not sure yet) that I bought at the beginning of March. I got them from a nearby feed store and they were still at the "puffball" stage, no clue on age.


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## ringstaffgirls (Apr 11, 2013)

I bet they were only a few days old. Their feathers on the wings start growing pretty quick.


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## ringstaffgirls (Apr 11, 2013)

I got mine March first and 21 weeks Is mid July. That is when I will start looking for eggs!!!


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

So about 3 months?


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## ringstaffgirls (Apr 11, 2013)

5-6 months


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

Depends on a lot of factors. Size, maturity, age, breed, weather, etc. Earliest we've had was 3 1/2 months, latest was nearly 8 months.


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

So what would the ages be for these breeds?

1: Barred Rock
2: Dominique 
3: Partridge Rock
4: White Leghorn


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## pjs (Mar 19, 2013)

We got eggs at 5 months with our barred rocks and red sexlinks!


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

I've had eggs at 4-ish months, but I've also had an occasional hen go a full 7-8 months and I had one that I swear she didn't lay until the following February from a May hatch date.

It's not just the breed or type, but within breeds you will see vast differences. Usually the hybrids and production breed lines are the ones that are coming into lay in 16 weeks.


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## ReTIRED (Mar 28, 2013)

For most breeds of _primarily _"egg-laying" chickens.....you're looking at 5 to 6 months.
THEN....they will _slowly...meagerly..._lay some small to medium eggs. (Winter tends to slow things down.)
They'll be laying better eggs about a month after they start laying. ( if not sooner )
At age 1 year...they'll likely be "laying-up-a-storm"...._depending upon_ the particular breed of chicken.
( I've _heard_ -but don't personally know- that Jersey Giants tend to be a little later with their first eggs. 
I plan to find out...by purchasing some chicks....or hatching eggs. )

That's been my experience over the past several years.
 -ReTIRED-


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