Anybody know when RIR start laying ??? - Page 2

I've got 11 RIR hens that were hatched August 15th 2011. I got my first egg when they were 23 weeks and 1 day old. I have the date of the first egg written down but I'm not where it's at right now. They've been laying about four weeks and now I'm getting 5 to 7 a day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serge 

I got 16 week old Rhode Island Red. And i just want to know when this bred of chickens start laying ?

I got mine when they were 4 months old. They still weren't fully grown then, couldn't tell the Roos from the hens, at 7 months the Roos started crowing they had this beautful dark brick/mahogony red like the gentleman below mentioned. At 8.5 months the hen started tending to her nest boxes and "playing house. Then the winter set in, lmbo. I got my first egg from her last monday, making it 12mo old (But I'm not holding the winter against her, had it not been for the season change I fully believe she would have started laying within a week or two of the nest activity.). Mine came for a friend who breeds his own, and he got his from a breeder. so I'm guessing mine may be a little father removed from a hatchery/mass produced chick, and when I start looking to increase my flock's genetic diversity i intend to look try to continue that trend. I will endure the slightly longer maturation rate in exchange for what is likely a healthier, sturdier bird with a much deeper gene pool

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred's Hens 

Depends.  Most folks, including the photo posted above, would likely own production reds, hatchery RIR stock at best.  

 

The true RIR takes much longer to mature, has a brick shaped body, mahogany colored feathers.  True RIR are quite a bit more rare and harder to come by.

Also, thank you Fred for pointing that out. I was getting kind of frustrated last fall when everyone and every book I picked up told me that RIR's should be laying by 6-7 months old and mine weren't. That actually explains a LOT, from the slightly darker coloration of mine, to the other subtle differences I've noticed between mine and the book/breeder descriptions. Makes me feel better. was starting to think I had some obscure mutant chicken strain, now I feel lucky (Not, that, of course I wouldn't have loved my little(giant-dinosaur-velociraptor) mutant chickies, but now I understand there are subtle differences between the assymbly line hatchery chicks and the real ones. Which in hindsight seems like it should be obvious, but I'd just never thought about it.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serge 

they hatched on 11-11-11 So march 11 makes 4 month I hope they start laying before 12 month

I swear the only reason mine took so long was the winter, they molted in late august/early September and by the time she quite looking like an overworked, depressed feather duster, it was just too cold and the days were too short.

Also Hens will "squat" down on the ground both to allow the Roo to mate her, as well and just to flex/exercise those muscles. Once she enters adolescence and is getting close to laying she will start instinctively "practicing" the pose. So when you see her just randomly hunching down on the ground and staying there for several seconds at a time, that's your sign.