Any guesses on when I should expect eggs?

[Tstraub]

My girls are 18 weeks old and I haven’t seen the first egg yet. A friend got chicks at the same time as us and hers have been laying for 2 weeks. I know that lots of things can come into play and the rage of what is normal can vary a lot.

The girls have matured a lot in the past few weeks with comb and wattles. My two cockerels are definitely showing a lot of interest in the girls but the girls don’t seem to want any part of it. They don’t look to be hurting the girls but if definitely keeping an eye on them because the guys just won’t take no for an answer.

Anyway here are a few comb and wattle pictures. Am I still weeks away or should I expect things to happen sooner? Breeds are olive egger, Wyendotte, Brahma, and jersey giant. Thanks in advance for any of your thoughts.

 

[Theorrin]

6 months usually

 

[Saveria]

My two cockerels are definitely showing a lot of interest in the girls but the girls don’t seem to want any part of it.

Very common, should get better with time.

None of those breeds are known for laying early, and brahmas will make you wait and wait. That first chicken (an OE or EE) looks like they'll be the first to go, but the rest look like they'll make you wait another couple weeks.

I think variations in POL has more to do with the individual, because I have seen the same breeds first egg be a couple weeks apart a few times here. They should start up soon enough, though.

 

[Tstraub]

None of those breeds are known for laying early, and brahmas will make you wait and wait. That first chicken (an OE or EE) looks like they'll be the first to go, but the rest look like they'll make you wait another couple weeks.

That would certainly be on par for her. We call her olive. According to Hoover’s website she is a cuckoo marans x Americana, olive egger. She was always the ring leader until the cockerels started showing. First to fly out of the brooder when we didn’t get the lid on early enough. Always first to come see me when she thinks I’m bringing treats. If one of the others sits on my lap she squeezes them out of the way. That sort of stuff.

 

[sybonbon]

Do any of them squat when you reach for them? Usually an egg comes within 2 weeks from the first squat. In my experience, my hybrids laid at 17 weeks and my pure bred ladies took much longer.

 

[Tstraub]

Do any of them squat when you reach for them? Usually an egg comes within 2 weeks from the first squat. In my experience, my hybrids laid atb17 weeks and my pure bred ladies took much longer.

A couple of them might be sort of squatting or maybe they are just dodging me? They definitely don’t go down and stay down like I have seen in videos and they definitely don’t squat for the cockerels.
A friend of ours has chickens the same age laying but I’m pretty sure they are production breeds. Comets or maybe cinnamon Queens I think. So I suppose I’ll just have to keep on waiting.

 

[sybonbon]

A couple of them might be sort of squatting or maybe they are just dodging me? They definitely don’t go down and stay down like I have seen in videos and they definitely don’t squat for the cockerels.
A friend of ours has chickens the same age laying but I’m pretty sure they are production breeds. Comets or maybe cinnamon Queens I think. So I suppose I’ll just have to keep on waiting.

Yes, my Comets and ISA Browns started at 17weeks. I got 3 out of 6 so far today. My SLW and EE 21 weeks.

 

[Whigru]

I’ve had a few breeds in the past and though no one bird is the same, I’ve had my ISA Brown and Barred Rocks lay earliest. ISA was 16w I think and BR was 18. I had RIR and an EE that followed around 19/20 weeks. Then I had a Columbian Wyandotte that waited until like 30 weeks

 

[Whigru]

You can also grab them and check their vents, that is a good indicator of things getting going down there. You can look up videos online to see how to do it, once you get the hang of it and know what to look for it’s quite easy and a good way to see who is doing what.

 

[Tstraub]

You can also grab them and check their vents, that is a good indicator of things getting going down there. You can look up videos online to see how to do it, once you get the hang of it and know what to look for it’s quite easy and a good way to see who is doing what.

Thanks now I’m off to really screw with my YouTube algorithm. That is something I never thought I would be searching for lol.