Are my chooks boys or girls?

[Phwaah]

Hey guys. My chooks are finally at the stage where I should be expecting eggs soon. All 4 are about 17 weeks old.

It has come to my attention that one of the white chooks have quite a large comb where as one has a kind of medium size comb and one very very small. I bought them all supposedly sexed as hens so here I am thinking prehaps not.

What do you guys think?
Seems like two are austra whites, one leghorn and one australop.

 

[The Happster]

All pullets.

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

Looks like a point of lay pullet! If it were a cockerel I'd expect some sort of rooster feathering by now, looks like all ladies!

 

[Mylied]

Beautiful pullets! They just develop at slightly different speeds.

 

[aart]

I had closed off the egg boxes since they were little and only opened them up the other day. Now they just poop in there

Are the roost higher than the nests?
Are they sleeping in the nests at night?
Might need to block off nests just before roost time, and unblock when you lock up after dark or at first light in the morning.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Phwaah]

Wooop! Best news this week.

They are eating double what they were eating previously so I thought they should be laying soon. Are there things I should do to have good quality eggs? When should I switch to layer pellets as they are still on grower feed. Also I should add they are completely free range. Full backyard is open to them.

 

[neo71665]

All ladies and I'd be looking for an egg any day

 

[Phwaah]

All ladies and I'd be looking for an egg any day

How can you tell? Do they get more plump looking?

 

[Phwaah]

They do, the comb may grow even bigger, they'll practice in the eggboxes.

I had closed off the egg boxes since they were little and only opened them up the other day. Now they just poop in there lol.

 

[neo71665]

It's summer here. Definitely plenty of light

I'd be looking for eggs. If they are free range look all over. They are sneaky lil buggers and will hide in the least expected spots. I remember having to crawl in my grandma's attic because the chooks found a way into it.