April 2010 Pullets- wanna wait with me?

[Yay Chicks!]

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?

Apparently 'the squat' , a submissive posturing that they might to for a rooster, they will do for you. I have not seen this yet personally.​

 

[growinupinfl]

We got ours on April fools day.. Great sense of humor hu.. We are still waiting.. and waiting.. silly girls. We must go see where these goofy free rangers are going.. I hope they lay eggs soon.. They have to earn their keep some how!! But they still think Col. Nuggets (the one roo) is stupid and gross and run from him every time he tries the courtship thing.. So I guess they are just a bunch of late bloomers. LOL

Christal

 

[elizabethlongwood]

Still waiting this week. My oldest two are 18 weeks now. One of them (my buff orpington) is getting a bigger comb, but it's still pretty pale. My youngest is a 15 week old EE and all of a sudden her comb is getting darker, kind of a hot pink color. Other than that, no signs of an egg coming.

 

[erin76]

Got the first three April 8th as day-olds....1sex-link started laying 2 weeks ago...my RIR is HUGE and has bright red comb and wattles....i think she may have laid a soft shelled 1st try, but I can't be sure (found the shell this morning mixed in with the pine shavings). She and the other sex-link are starting to check out the boxes (with the fake eggs) more....they were "setting" this am....nothing! Even my layer skipped today!

Getting impatient!

 

[MakNugget]

My buff Orpington surprised me with an egg song this afternoon. No egg, but she sure has a voice! Now enough with practice, I want eggs!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

One of mine visited the nest box today, kicked the bedding all around and moved a golf ball.

 

[lynnemabry]

My "egg laying machines" have not turned on yet( 5 16 week old white leghorns) I suppose I will have to keep them in for a day or two soon so they learn to go to their nesting box instead of a daily egg hunt.

Behind them I have coming up 3 EE, and a black cochin that are about 10 weeks?? then the about 4 week old bar rocks.

I guess I am really waiting a lot longer for my mixed basket.

 

[pattgal]

I got mine on April 20 as well. and I think my leghorn just squatted for me, woohoo
I put an avocado pit in a milk crate with some hay in it for now. I hope it works at least until the nest boxes are finished

 

[Beekercat]

I'll join in on this!

First of all, congrats on your eggs. Awesome news!!

We got our first four ladies on April 10 from the local feed store - a Buff Brahma, a RIR, a SLW and a BA - and so far, nothing. The way I figure it, the first egg better be made of solid gold for all the time, effort and money we've put into this so far, lol. They're so much fun to watch, though - it's all been worth it. The eggs are just a bonus, imo.

I do have a question about their feed...once one of the older ladies starts laying, do I have to switch all of them over to the laying feed? I also have some 12-week olds out there and I'm confused about what to do.


Thanks a ton and again, congrats to all you lucky early bloomers.

 

[DurangoCal]

Beekercat-maybe mix the two. I would hate for your laying hens not to get the nutrients they need for laying and the younger ones need the grower to get nice and big so they can start. I don't have any experience with this but I think that is what I would do!