4-month-old pullet sitting in nesting box?

[BantyChooks]

I have a 4 month old EE pullet that's been sitting in the nest box for a few minutes per day. Is this a reliable indicator of egg laying in the next few months? She will "squat" if you put weight on her back but not with a hand overhead. I do not think she would be laying in a few weeks, (maybe in a month?) as her comb is still small and yellowish, but then again she's sitting in the box and pseudo squatting.... I'm rather confused.
How early is the earliest you have had a hen lay?
Thanks

 

[SueT]

Two of our pullets, one at age 18 wks and the other at 19 wks recently exhibited these behaviors and then began laying within a week. The Buff Orpington has laid one every day for the past 8 days,and the RIR has laid two in 4 days. They will be 20 wks next week, and I have two others hatched on the same day that haven't started laying yet, or showing those signs.

 

[BantyChooks]

Interesting.... maybe she'll be an early layer.
Thanks.

 

[aart]

EE's can be later layers, depends on what breeds they were crossed from.

Squatting is not always a purely sexual behavior, it's also a submissive behavior...sh'es submitting to you as 'head bird'.
It can happen weeks before egg appear....but it shouldn't be too long now.

New layers can be quite goofy acting, they don't know what they are doing at first and can be confused and anxious, it can take up to a month or so before they get it all figured out. Putting some fake eggs or golf balls in the nest might help show them where to lay. They may scratch around in the nests for weeks before laying. Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.

Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points to be the most accurate.
Squatting:
If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.

Combs and Wattles:
Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.
Tho I have found that the combs and wattles can look full and red one minute then pale back out the next due to exertion or excitement, can drive ya nuts when waiting for a pullet to lay!

2 bony points on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.

 

[BantyChooks]

Thank you. I didn't think she was gonna lay soon as her comb is still teeny, but I was wondering how close she was as she was checking the boxes out.

 

[junebuggena]

This is my mature, laying Easter Egger. Pea combs don't get very big.

'Soon' is a relative term when it comes to pullets. It can mean any day, or a few weeks. It would be great if there was one specific thing to look for, to judge exactly when a bird will start laying; but there isn't. There are signs of readiness, but just how 'ready' an individual bird might be; and how soon, soon is, can vary widely.

 

[itsmyguess]

I have two Barred Rocks pullets that have found the nesting boxes they are not of laying age yet, they are kinda getting bullied by the sex link I call Odd Ball . She doesn’t peck them but just kinda chases them away. The three Buff Orpingtons don’t bother them much , I had one part of the run blocked off for over a wk so the big ones could see them, I’m thinking they feel safe there just don’t want them to make a habit of it, the pullets are eaten and drinking just hanging together. I have no room to separate them in the coop at night even in the morning so they aren’t getting pecked on . So I guess they just need to grow more.