will my "late bloomer" ever bloom?

[ckbco]

Oh, great, a modern, independent chicken

Best reply I have ever encountered ... That gets a 10/10 as for the chicken I said the same thing and out of no were they started laying

 

[mdelhomme]

Ruby is still playing possum. Today we were working in our backyard garden and all the girls were following us around gobbling up worms that we dug up. Ruby ran down to the nest, sat for a looooong time and came back. No egg. Now she is wandering around the yard picking up long pieces of grass, twigs and leaves and putting them very carefully on her back. She reminds me of Corporal Klinger, I just can't figure out what her game is.

 

[mdelhomme]

This is Laura, I think she needs therapy (multiple personality disorder). She'll be sweet while you're holding her and eat our of your hand, then BAM! she strikes as soon as you put her down! Any suggestions?

Still no eggs, and NO that is NOT blood on the chopping block, my husband put deck stain on it to protect it from the weather!

Doracus is still producing steadily, she's a good girl

Queenie, or Baby Chicken, as we call her, is clueless. Laura harasses her but the others are accepting her, she still thinks she's a person and sleeps in the house at night, she's too small to be confined to the coop with the Devil Chicken, Laura

 

[boskelli1571]

This is Laura, I think she needs therapy (multiple personality disorder). She'll be sweet while you're holding her and eat our of your hand, then BAM! she strikes as soon as you put her down! Any suggestions?

Still no eggs, and NO that is NOT blood on the chopping block, my husband put deck stain on it to protect it from the weather!

Doracus is still producing steadily, she's a good girl

Queenie, or Baby Chicken, as we call her, is clueless. Laura harasses her but the others are accepting her, she still thinks she's a person and sleeps in the house at night, she's too small to be confined to the coop with the Devil Chicken, Laura

does chicken shaming work??

 

[bigbruce]

I have had ee's almost a year old before they started laying

 

[lilbeastpdx]

Hi, Mdelhomme!

I have an easter egger that isn't laying yet, either. Pea comb on Olive is much smaller than your Ruby, but other than that, they look fairly similar... Olive is the only one not laying. No signs of being a "he", either. Maybe it's the waning light- I don't know if it matters as much where you are, Mdel, but here in the PNW, the light difference between summer and winter is quite marked.
I have read that some chickens never reach maturity in their first year, if they hit autumn just right, and now I am worried Olive won't lay til next year- no squatting, or any other signs that she is close, although her pelvic bones seem to have spread a bit since I last checked. Have you heard of the pelvic bone test? Here's the jist: Below the cloaca are the chicken's pelvic bones. Until they reach the point of about pueberty, the pelvic bones are touching, but begin to spead apart, right around the time of squatting. I had read here in this site that when you can (gently) fit about the width of 2-3 fingers between the bones (again, very gently, and not pressing hard at all- it's just a measurement) your gal should be about ready.

I tried it with my gals, and it all helped me relax a bit, as I knew they were close. Of course, I just tried this with Olive, and her pelvic bones haven't moved that far apart, so I don't think she's just hiding her eggs out in the yard someplace.

Anyway, hope this helps some. I am tired, so probably didn't explain the "pelvic palp" very well, but there are lots of folks on here who talk about it. I am very curious to hear what you find out!

Meanwhile, go get 'em, Ruby! (Ah, man, that Hagrid reference cracked me up, too!)

Hey Fiddlechicken,

So, what happens if you do this test to a rooster? Are their pelvic bones different than a hens? Could this be a way to confirm a boy or girl? I can't seem to find an answer to this anywhere in the forums....