How red were your pullets wattles when she started to lay?

[chickerdoodle]

My 5 pullets are 19 weeks old today. Beatrice, my BR is the only one showing a marked difference by getting redder and larger comb and wattles (

). None of them are doing the rooster squat.

I am getting really antsy as we are also going on vacation in 2 weeks! I want to be here for their first eggs!! So, how red were your pullet's comb and wattles when she started to lay?? Also, how long did they do the rooster squat before laying? Anyone have a pullet lay without doing the rooster squat first? If you have pictures--post them so I can get a good idea!

I really want to be the one to find the first egg, not my house-sitter

 

[3chimama]

My BR was 19 1/2 weeks when she started laying and her comb was very deep red.....good luck!

 

[Arty]

Our Barred Rocks and Gold Laced Wyandottes were 20 weeks old last Wed., but still no eggs.

The good news is this past weekend we have seen squatting and heard an egg song. So I think we are close.

Here is Flo - a Barred Rock. GLW in the background.

 

[palochknldy]

Checkers our BR was hatched around the 2nd week of April(we think). This photo was taken Aug 10. Since then she has layed a soft shell and another soft shell with a weird tail off of it both off the roost. On Aug 27, we got our first hard egg and another one yesterday. Patience Grasshopper!

 

[chickerdoodle]

Arty--your BR's comb and wattles is almost exactly how my BR, Beatrice's comb and wattles look!

Palochknldy--I didn't know BR's comb flops! I have not seen that before--is that common or is Checkers a unique lady? It reminds me of a Leghorn, and they are excellent layers

 

[foxyloxy]

My chickens combs and wattles are like the others'. Very red. Also, so far mine have layed about a week and a half to 2 weeks after the first slight squat. I noticed the closer they get to laying, the harder they.... ahem... hunker down hehe. They will also start to squat when just startled, rather than just when you put your hand over them or something. These are just my observations with our newly laying pullets.

I hope yours start laying before your trip! I bet they will if you've got 2 weeks until you go.

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

That's a great question. My oldest girls, 2 BOs are 18 weeks and only one of them has red wattles. I wondered if the wattles would change before the egg laying began. I didn't know and was too shy to ask!

My 16 week wyandotte has very red wattles and my two 17 week Speckled Sussex do NOT have red wattles at all.

 

[cabot]

My BR is 21 weeks old and just started laying last week. She was a very deep red for a few weeks prior and started squatting about 1 week prior to laying

 

[palochknldy]

Quote:
Chickerdoodle...Poor crooked Checkers. That's what we call her. Not sure what happened to her comb. It's not attached at the very top and that's why is flops over. We are equal opportunity chicken growers, so it's only fitting that the floppy comb belongs to us. ha Maybe it's just a bad 'comb' over. Sorry, couldn't pass that one up.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Chickerdoodle...Poor crooked Checkers. That's what we call her. Not sure what happened to her comb. It's not attached at the very top and that's why is flops over. We are equal opportunity chicken growers, so it's only fitting that the floppy comb belongs to us. ha Maybe it's just a bad 'comb' over. Sorry, couldn't pass that one up.

Depends on the breed. Of my layers... My marans' combs are a deep vivid RED. My Golden sex links are barely pink and they have been laying for 9 months now, the EEs are pink too and they are also laying now (but they weren't pink til right before they started laying). The RIRs and BOs are somewhere in between.