I have a couple girls that are laying and several more who aren't. I did notice that my laying girls will submit to mating - if they are willing squat down & brace their wings and it's over in a few seconds, while those who are younger want nothing to do with it and will squack and run away. Not that my egg layers will always submit, but they don't make much of a scene. If they're not interested at that moment, they just walk away. Something that I found interesting was my bantam pullet started allowing my bantam cockerel mate w/ her last week and then on Saturday of last week she laid her first egg, so I believe (though not an expert) if they are submitting to mating, that an egg will be along sooner, rather than later.