Are My Leghorns Close to Laying?

[The Moonshiner]

Looks like a very typical Leghorn pullet to me.

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

That lady is a rooster.

My understanding is that leghorn roosters have very large combs that stand straight up. She doesn't have any pointy saddle feathers and she doesn't crow.
Edit to add (she doesn't lay eggs yet either lol)

 

[SJsChickies]

That comb- that color- that age (17 weeks?) ? I had my Happy Chap. 17 weeks?.... Roo (IMO). More will chime in.

With the comb I’d normally say roo too but Leghorns mature sooner a lot of the time and have huge combs. Also I feel like it would be crowing by now? We’ll see if she lays an egg soon!

 

[SJsChickies]

I snapped this picture just now. This lovely lady is 17 weeks. But no eggs yet

My pullet’s comb folded over like that the day she laid her first egg!

 

[CabritaChicks]

I strongly disagree. 17 weeks with no male feathering is a pullet in my book.

Okay, please educate me. (willing to be wrong, in fact I want to know more). This was called out as being a rooster (as it was, but a marans mix) at similar age. Dead giveaway- he started crowing at 18 weeks:

 

[Chookwagn]

Okay, please educate me. (willing to be wrong, in fact I want to know more). This was called out as being a rooster (as it was, but a marans mix) at similar age. Dead giveaway- he started crowing at 18 weeks:

View attachment 4186879

Feathering is the giveaway here.... a lot of Leghorn hens have bigger combs than roosters of other breeds. A Leghorn hen comb should always flop over, mostly it will flop before they start to lay

 

[thecatumbrella]

Okay, please educate me. (willing to be wrong, in fact I want to know more). This was called out as being a rooster (as it was, but a marans mix) at similar age. Dead giveaway- he started crowing at 18 weeks:

View attachment 4186879

You can see the saddle feathers, which almost look like hair, on the back right before the tail. The OP's bird did not have this; feathers in the saddle area looked rounded. And I think I just saw a comment saying this, but if the OP's bird is pure leghorn, it's going to have a massive comb. I can understand the confusion though!

 

[ksmithAZ]

Yeah, she's the queen of the run at the moment. They tend to hang out under the coop during the heat of the day (I have a fan blowing through there to keep the air moving since it's been ridiculously hot), but they all head into the coop several times a day and spend time in the nesting box.

I'm hoping they'll instinctively know what to do, but the fake egg suggestion is a great idea. I'll see if I can find some. Joann Fabrics closed here, so I'll have to find another craft store that may carry them.

Walmart has them, as well as Amazon. You can also use a similar shaped smooth rock. It doesn't have to look exactly like an egg.

 

[Carter4671]

The wait for every day eggs is still on with mine. Some days I will get 1 egg from the 2 that are the oldest and some days i will get one. I still dont know which one is actually laying daily as i would have to put like a bow around the neck so i could see in the nesting box which one it is. I was getting 2 a day for like 3 days then it went to one, I just wait and see. I have 2 others that should start laying in about a month I hope.

 

[NatJ]

Some days I will get 1 egg from the 2 that are the oldest and some days i will get one. I still dont know which one is actually laying daily

It is common for a chicken to take a day off every now and then. Your two might be taking turns having a day off, so sometimes they both lay and sometimes it is just one or just the other.