The start of the egg laying period
Your hens have started making funny noises and squat down when you approach. What gives?
Your hens are maturing and if they are getting really loud and singing their "egg song", you can expect their first eggs any day! The eggs can vary in color and sizes. You will quickly learn the colors depend on the breed of chicken you bought. While the majority may range from a cream color to brown, there are some more rare colors such as green, blue, purple, and dark brown. Many people who keep chickens start to want a variance in their egg colors!
Your hens will start laying eggs anywhere from 18 to 30 weeks of age. They should be eating layer feed at this point. You can also give them treats and scraps at this point. A good option for them to have is oyster shell pieces. This helps them with the calcium and helps with the strength of the egg shell. Some more treats that offer benefits that will be passed to you or others that eat their eggs, will be treats like sunflower seeds, pumpkins, and cabbage.
Another observation to note is that chickens offer more or less eggs per year depending on their breed. Some of the breeds that offer 200-300 eggs per year are Rhode Island Reds, Black Stars (Black Sex Links), Australorps, Plymouth Rocks, Leghorns, and Isa Browns. With these breeds, you can expect eggs just about every day. With these breeds, their sizes can range from medium to extra large. Isa Browns offer 300-350 eggs per year, however, their life expectancy is to 2-3 years!
Another thing to keep an eye on during this time are the different temperments. If it's early in their egg laying, you may not run into it but there is the chance your hens will be "broody". While you may think their cute and entertaining antics make them ready to mothers, this is not always the case! Some hens will steal other eggs, and sit on 10+ eggs if you do not take all the eggs and are thinking of hatching new babies. They may try to peck at you when you try to take some eggs. Other hens will let you feel underneath for eggs and will not mind as long as you don't disturb them too much.
If your chickens are free ranging in your backyard or property, you will not be buying feed as much. If your chickens are not free ranging, and there are many reasons why they are not, you are responsible for their nutrition. A good treat for chickens, and at first it may seem gross, are bugs! Amazon offers options with value for healthy grasshoppers, crickets and mealworms. It is great protein and you will find they have their own favorites.