14 week old leghorn squating...

[Kathrynmodra]

I've had one 14 week old leghorn squatting for me for about 5 days, then yesterday the other one did it. Nothing from the Australorpe, ISA browns or polish fizzles. Is this far too early? Could they start laying in a couple of weeks. They are not on layer mix yet.

Also, my polish fizzle girls are not very tame. I can get close to them but they don't like to be picked up. Would they squat for me or not if they are nervous? They are about 18/19 weeks old, so I'm wondering if I'd know when they were going to lay.

Thanks

 

[Kelsie2290]

It is early, but not terribly so, sometimes they will start squatting a couple of weeks up to a month before they start to lay, so you are looking at 16-18 weeks which is not that unusual for commercial birds, I have had one or two eggs from 14-15 week olds before, and know other people have said they have had them even earlier. There is no need to start them on Layer before they are laying, and even then you could just feed them shell on the side. With the polish, for some reason a lot of pullets will get wild and spooky a few weeks before they start to lay, then calm down when they start laying. With them you pretty much have to go with wattle color and size since they should redden up a few weeks before they start to lay. Some hens will never squat for people either, guess we just don't look enough like a rooster to all of them.

 

[Kathrynmodra]

Thank you! That answers my question perfectly I think I should get my nest boxes set up in the next couple of days, just to be on the safe side.