Are my 7/26/17 hatches getting ready to lay?

[springvalley123]

Hi, I'm just north of Phoenix, and have 11 brown Leghorns and 13 BLue Andalusians, 107 days old (3.5 mos, or 15 wks). They've been staying in the night pen most of the day instead of going out to forage the entire day. (I have been letting them out for the day since they were about 3-4 wks old.) They've mainly been spending most of the day on the ground in the pen lately, but not on their roosts as they are at night time. They all cluck, and lately have started to make more of a repetitive cluck-cluck-cluck than a cackle. Some of the combs are getting bright but some are still very small and pale. They've been molting into their adult feathers (from their juvenile feathers) for about a month. In this climate, do you think they're getting ready to lay, or are they just disappointed in the forage? There aren't supposed to be any roosters, but I suspect a few, who are "talking" but no crowing. The days are still pretty warm, but the sunrise/set is about 6:00 am and 5:30 pm.

 

[ChickNanny13]

They're still young, you suspect maybe some cockerels, those maybe the ones whose combs are getting "bright". It's normal for them to spend the day on the ground scratching, bathing & exploring. Nights are spent on the roost, normal.

When pullets get ready to lay, their combs/wattles will get bright red first. When they get closer to laying they'll start squatting when approached or when you try picking them up. This will happen a few weeks prior to laying.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At that age if you can post photos of the suspects we should be able to tell you male or female. A shot of the head showing the comb and wattles is good, so is a shot showing legs, posture and tail.

I've had pullets start laying as early as 16 weeks, but that is pretty rare. After 20 weeks is more normal for the first one to start but some can go a lot longer than that before they start. They do not all start at the same time. I’ve had some go as long as nine months before they start laying. The time of year is working against you some too with the days getting shorter, but I’ve had some start in early December when the days are really short but still getting shorter.

Basically they will lay when they lay, there is no way to be sure when that will be. But at 15 weeks it has nothing to do with the forage, they are just too young.

 

[springvalley123]

At that age if you can post photos of the suspects we should be able to tell you male or female. A shot of the head showing the comb and wattles is good, so is a shot showing legs, posture and tail.

I've had pullets start laying as early as 16 weeks, but that is pretty rare. After 20 weeks is more normal for the first one to start but some can go a lot longer than that before they start. They do not all start at the same time. I’ve had some go as long as nine months before they start laying. The time of year is working against you some too with the days getting shorter, but I’ve had some start in early December when the days are really short but still getting shorter.

Basically they will lay when they lay, there is no way to be sure when that will be. But at 15 weeks it has nothing to do with the forage, they are just too young.

--THanks for the info! I took some photos, will unload later today. Hoping there aren't that many cockerels!

 

[gimmie birdies]

You have the best situation, I love Phoenix area, you have good birds for your location, good hot weather birds that don't eat too much, and pretty. I love blue birds. I have birds born in June, I am still waiting for them to lay, but I see them testing and sitting in the boxes, no eggs yet, they are thinking about it. You will have eggs soon enough, and leghorns and blues are really good layers, so big white eggs out your ears.

 

[SueT]

I have brown leghorn pullets, hatched early April, and the first one didn't begin laying until 24 weeks, and I didn't get eggs from all four until 27 weeks. Length of day is a factor. My pullets last year were hatched end of May and didn't lay at all until spring...
Leghorns have big combs, and they get big enuf to begin to flop over. This pic of my leghorns was taken one month before they began to lay...

 

[gimmie birdies]

Yes leghorns seem to get a big comb before the lay, and their baby voices are gone.

 

[springvalley123]

I have brown leghorn pullets, hatched early April, and the first one didn't begin laying until 24 weeks, and I didn't get eggs from all four until 27 weeks. Length of day is a factor. My pullets last year were hatched end of May and didn't lay at all until spring...
Leghorns have big combs, and they get big enuf to begin to flop over. This pic of my leghorns was taken one month before they began to lay...
View attachment 1183426

THey are beautiful!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Leghorns would normally lay at around 20 weeks or possibly earlier if they reached that age prior to the summer solstice. Since we are in a period of declining day length I would expect it to take a bit longer.
Since they are only 15 weeks I would guess you'll start getting eggs in January when days start to lengthen.