My BO didn't start laying until 27 weeks. I guess the heavier breeds take longer. BO's are slow to mature.
Mine are 17 weeks too. I think it takes longer for some of the LF breeds to lay, since they take longer to grow and reach maturity. The waiting SUCKS but at least when they're ready it'll be better for them than if they started early.
Got my fingers crossed for you both. My BO started laying at 19 Weeks and she has been a stable layer since. Eggs are still considered pullet size but they have been getting heavier and some with double yolks! Buffys first egg was only 38 grams. My five layers which are now 27 weeks old are all are different breeds and laying pretty much every day. Five different color eggs . On a good day my girls go 5 for 5 but on the average they go for 3 or 4 a day. But wow, I have had 3 jumbo eggs which exceeded 73 grams! Ouch So, your days are quickly comming. Good luck and have a sunnyside up day.
My (accidental... she was supposed to be in with the lunch group, but was too personable) Buff started at 21 week, which I'm told is rather early for BOs. 17's way early. Compared to last year's group her eggs really grew fast once she started. She's almost up to par with the older hens.
I have 2 BOs. Priscialla matured much faster than Dixie & layed her first egg around 20 weeks. Dixie is now 26 weeks & just layed her first egg this week. Up until last week, her face was still relatively pale. Priscialla is a very picky layer & chooses to lay in the run if there are any other eggs in the nest box. If she's not first, she won't have it. She also doesn't lay everyday, which can be frustrating. Her eggs are much smaller than my Golden Comet (who started at 15 weeks! yikes!) though as another poster said, they are getting a little bit heavier. Dixie layed her first egg on Sunday & I'm not sure she's laid another once since. Hers look so much like Priscilla's its hard to tell them apart.
I think it not only varies from breed to breed but also climate conditions. We had an EXCEEDINGLY mild summer here. I mean, I'm still waiting for my tomatoes (which have been in the ground since March 9th!) to get ripe..... vines are heavy with fruit, but it hasn't gotten hot enough here in central California (where about a quarter of the country's tomatoes are grown) to get ripe on the vine. We're having to pick them half-green and finish them off in a paper bag. That being said, I think the altered climate all over the country has caused a lot of chickens that would normally start laying young to wait a while. Leghorns are known for laying their first eggs at 15-17 weeks, but my girl was 21 weeks before she dropped out her first egg! That's old for a leghorn. All my birds, which hatched in April, have had good growth; but aside from the leghorn, NONE of my other birds is showing any signs of being anywhere close to being ready to lay, and they're all 22+ weeks except the EE who is 26 weeks! No combs, no wattles, no egg song, nothing. Faces are kinda-sorta pink but not even CLOSE to being mature enough to lay. I have a barred rock, a Rhode Island red, a welsummer, an Easter egger, and a leghorn.... the only one mature enough to lay is the leghorn, though the rest are all technically OLD ENOUGH that they SHOULD all be laying by now. I didn't think I would ever get any eggs and started to wonder if my birds were duds. But 1 week ago today, our Felipa (leghorn) blessed us with our first egg & has been consistent ever since. Now we are just waiting on everybody else.
Mine will be 24 weeks this friday (9/24) and haven't produced an egg yet. My first egg from the alpha hen was Monday, which I hope will help things along. The girls were sure curious to see it.
I agree with 26 weeks. My girls comb got really red a little after 20 weeks. First egg was at 26. She's laid 5 eggs a week year round since then. Love her.
