April 2010 Pullets- wanna wait with me?

[imusa76]

do I have to wait untill they start to lay before switching the food to Layer feed?
I have one pullet the does the "I layed an Egg song" and she has the lightest comb, the others look at her like she lost her mind..

my wife noticed the comb colors on 2 others that are red, does that determin maturaty ? they are the youngest in the group.

 

[DurangoCal]

I've read on BYC and been told to start layer feed when they are 16 weeks.

 

[DurangoCal]

My Anconas and Leghorns were hatched in April. So looking forward to seeing them start laying! The Leghorns combs are starting to turn red but the Anconas are still pink, pink, pink!

 

[myfivegirls]

Yes, I'm waiting for my April 19th pullets to start laying. One of my four Red Stars is getting a nice deep pink comb and wattle, while the EEs have only the faintest tint of pink. The Wyandottes have had a reddish tint to their combs & wattles for weeks, even though they're still quite small.

Meanwhile, I know someone who got 15 Red Star chicks on April 19th also, but theirs are from a breeder in PA rather than a hatchery . He said that one of hens did the "wings out, squat down and stop feet" dance the other day when he went to pet them. He also said the they're as big as his other full grown chicken now! I'm amazed, because mine aren't anywhere as big as the two RIR hens I have now, MAYBE 3/4 their size at the most.
Could it possibly be that they're bigger because his chickens have been fed primarily by chick grower vs. mine that have been pastured from 6 weeks or so? My pullets have been eating their feed, but they don't seem to growing VERY slow. I've tried to find pictures of other pullets their age on here, and most of them seem to bigger than mine.

So, I'm trying very hard to wait patiently, but with only 1-2 eggs per day from the two RIR hens, I want those other eggs to start soon. (I was orginally going to keep my original five hens until the pullets started laying, but a dog decided that wasn't a good idea.)

 

[DurangoCal]

So sorry to hear about your five hens, and that horrid dog that took them Hopefully the pullets will start laying soon!!!

 

[Qi Chicken]

Guess What!!! Guess What!!!!! 2 COUNT EM 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eggs today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First eggs from our first flock and 2 girls laid today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Little itty bitty eggs> The first was from Amelia the barred rock. It was perfect in every way although Extremely tiny. Beautiful light brown! The other was from Lulu Louise, EE and hers was also light brown (

) with small dark speckles on it. She was very nervous and agitated. Wanted to be comforted was rolling the plastic easter eggs under her and messing with the bedding but she finally did it. A little tiny bit of blood on the shell but otherwise perfect. Even if it was brown...........

Both were born April 5 so they are 17 weeks and 5 days! Pretty exciting around here! I wanted to post now but will try to add pics!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Congrats QiChicken!

 

[Woofless]

Most of my girls were bought as day-old chicks from TSC on April 2. That was the first shipment of the year for this area's TSC, so I am pretty sure the age is right. Anyhow, 9 of the 15 I bought have laid their first eggs in the last three days (YAY!!!)

Soooo, maybe those of you with mid-April babies don't have much longer to wait. Fingers crossed!!!

 

[Tala]

I got 2 pullet eggs yesterday, looks like my Dominique pullet and a BO mix pullet, just judging by the shell colors.

Lots of feed makers recommend feeding layer "a month" before laying. On my Gamebird feed package it says offer oyster shell a month before they start laying.
I don't necessarily feed "layer" food, but I always have oyster shell out for the hens anyway so the pullets can get it at will. I feed pretty much whatever I feel like buying this month, and just keep the oyster shell out for them no matter what I'm feeding.

 

[Agnella]

I just noticed this morning that two of my girls have bright red combs and wattles

What are the signs that they are going to start laying other than that?