Does she look like she’s ready to lay?

[Jayteetee]

This is our red Ancona chicken. She’s about 18 weeks. Does she look like she’s ready to lay?

 

[Mrs. K]

I am estimating 4-6 more weeks. Does she squat for you? Or for a rooster, if so - about two weeks after that. About a month after they redden up hard. FOREVER if you are waiting.

About the time, you have given up all hope, come to the realization that this bird is an oddity that will never lay an egg, and somehow you got her...about 2 weeks after that she will lay.

 

[K0k0shka]

She doesn't look ready to me. Her comb and wattles are small and very pale. Squatting isn't a reliable sign, unless you have a rooster and she squats for him. A lot of hens won't squat for humans. Most of mine don't, even when they're old enough and actively laying.

 

[NatJ]

This is our red Ancona chicken. She’s about 18 weeks. Does she look like she’s ready to lay? View attachment 3749393

Probably not yet. Her whole face should turn much more red when she is ready to lay (comb, wattles, skin by the eyes, etc).

I would expect the comb & wattles to get bigger as well as getting more red (as big as the ones in adult hens of her breed), but the color is a bigger indicator than the size.

 

[aart]

Not quite red enough, but might be close.
Might try checking her pelvic points:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[South Dakota Guy]

I am estimating 4-6 more weeks. Does she squat for you? Or for a rooster, if so - about two weeks after that. About a month after they redden up hard. FOREVER if you are waiting.

About the time, you have given up all hope, come to the realization that this bird is an oddity that will never lay an egg, and somehow you got her...about 2 weeks after that she will lay.

Mrs. K, you are truly a wealth of information. A good dose of patience is required to be a chicken grower. Waiting for your chickens to lay their first eggs can be excruciating.

 

[Jayteetee]

Thank you everyone. I’ll keep all the readers posted once she starts the wait is excruciating

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes she is getting closer, no I don't think it will be soon. I agree with Nat.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I was hoping she would start at 16 weeks as online sources say anconas lay at 16 weeks but she’s a red Australian Ancona so maybe there’s some other genetics at play?

16 weeks is the very earliest you could expect a bird to lay regardless of breed. That might be the breed standard, but every bird is an individual and their onset of laying can vary wildly, by months sometimes.

 

[NatJ]

Okay- a little update photo. How’s she looking? She was 21 weeks to the day in this pic.

It looks to me like she is making progress, but probably has a bit further to go before she actually starts laying.

I was hoping she would start at 16 weeks as online sources say anconas lay at 16 weeks but she’s a red Australian Ancona so maybe there’s some other genetics at play?

If you live in Australia, your days are getting shorter now. That would cause any pullet to mature more slowly, and some would even wait until the next spring to lay.

In the northern hemisphere we have lengthening days right now, which are making everyone's pullets and hens get into gear to start laying (some are doing it faster than others: I've seen same-age pullets start laying anywhere from January to late March, and I've read of others that waited longer yet, even when they were more than "old enough" by any reasonable estimate.)