Hi, I hope someone can help answer a few questions that I have.
After a few years of not keeping chickens due to my work load, I took the plunge and got 6 hybrid pullets as I now have time again to care for their needs.
When I collected these pullets 2 weeks ago, the lady I purchased them from said they were 24 weeks old, and that she had a couple of eggs from them so far.
Now at 26 weeks (and happily settled) I am still waiting for eggs. I have read many post on here from members that had waited till 30 weeks + for their first egg, but I thought that hybrids started laying earlier than pure breeds?
I am starting to wonder if she sold me old hens, is there any way of telling a chickens rough age?
2 of them have quite pale combs and wattles, and the other 4 seem to be getting redder in the face and combs and wattles are slowly getting bigger, so is this an indication that they are young?
Like I said, they are hybrid, the seller told me that 2 are speckledy, 2 are marans, and 2 are light sussex, but she did not say what they were mixed with.
After a few years of not keeping chickens due to my work load, I took the plunge and got 6 hybrid pullets as I now have time again to care for their needs.
When I collected these pullets 2 weeks ago, the lady I purchased them from said they were 24 weeks old, and that she had a couple of eggs from them so far.
Now at 26 weeks (and happily settled) I am still waiting for eggs. I have read many post on here from members that had waited till 30 weeks + for their first egg, but I thought that hybrids started laying earlier than pure breeds?
I am starting to wonder if she sold me old hens, is there any way of telling a chickens rough age?
2 of them have quite pale combs and wattles, and the other 4 seem to be getting redder in the face and combs and wattles are slowly getting bigger, so is this an indication that they are young?
Like I said, they are hybrid, the seller told me that 2 are speckledy, 2 are marans, and 2 are light sussex, but she did not say what they were mixed with.
