17 week old silkie pullets turning red in the combs. Normal?

[Critter Crazed]

First of all, I'm really new at this whole chicken raising business thing so if this is a really stupid question, I'm sorry.

My 5 silkie girls are starting to turn red in the combs and even around where the wattles will be growing in. Is this normal? I'm almost positive they are pullets because I just gave away 4 crowing silkie roos about two weeks ago. They started crowing at 14 weeks old so they matured really early for silkies as well.

I thought redness around that area meant maturity? Does this mean I will get early eggs? Because I always thought silkies matured really late. I thought they started laying eggs at like 5-8 months old...? Or am I wrong about this?

Oh, also my bantam cochin roo doesn't seem interested in the girls just yet. He's 17 weeks old too. Will he become "interested" soon because of this? I only just noticed their combs about a week ago. They aren't *red* but you can tell the combs are a reddish color from a distance.


Thanks.

 

[chicknjane]

I'm prettty sure the reddening combs and wattles is just a sign they are maturing. It may not be a good indication of egg laying though because it took about 5 - 6 weeks after my pullets started getting red combs before they started laying.

I'm not familiar with silkies, but I do know that every chicken is different, regardless of breed, they all lay when they are ready, crow when they are ready and mate when they are ready, not when we think or are told they should be ready. I had my BO lay at 22 weeks which was 3 week before the 2 red sex links ( who are supposed to be early maturing layers, they started laying at 25 weeks old).

My GLW rooster didn't start crowing until this week and he just turned 23 weeks old. Now he won't stop. And he also started getting interested in the girls, all of them, except his girlfriend who hasn't started laying yet. He still protects her and follows her around and feeds her, but he won't mate with her, just everyone else.

It sounds like all is well and going according to plan. It just usually doesn't go according to our plans.

Good Luck

 

[PortageGirl]

Yep, they're just growing up. The roo may or may not get interested yet... if you had a mature rooster, he might be starting to 'cruise' around trying to show off and such, but they don't usually pester pullets much till they are really ready to allow him liberties, which they aren't ready for till they start to lay really.

 

[Critter Crazed]

Ok thanks you guys.

I guess I'm just suprised they are growing up already! I wasn't expecting it.

It's like it was just yesterday when they were in their brooder.......