Barred Rock Pullet Not Laying

[HeyHo]

My seven month old barred rock pullet is not laying. She has virtually no comb. Her wattle, earlobes, etc. are not very red. No squatting, no investigating the nesting boxes. Middle of the flock pecking order. She's very vigorous and interactive, eats well. The rest of the girls, same age, are all laying without problem. I feed Purina Flock Raiser crumbles, side of grit and oyster. Some free range time, a few treats per week (yogurt, greens, scratch).

Is she just slow to develop? Could there be some other issue I should be watching out for?

 

[CacklingRanch]

They all develop at different rates.

Sounds like she hasn’t developed sexually yet. She will. Some of the larger breeds take close to a year.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Some are late bloomers. Winter is coming she might even wait till spring.

 

[HeyHo]

They all develop at different rates.

Sounds like she hasn’t developed sexually yet. She will. Some of the larger breeds take close to a year.

Some are late bloomers. Winter is coming she might even wait till spring.

OK, so I'll just hope she starts up when the weather turns and the days get longer. If she's a late bloomer, does that tend to mean she'll lay longer into her life?

 

[MissChick@dee]

OK, so I'll just hope she starts up when the weather turns and the days get longer. If she's a late bloomer, does that tend to mean she'll lay longer into her life?

Let’s certainly hope so! I don’t think there’s a guarantee on that. But my thoughts are it only sounds fair. Right?

 

[HeyHo]

Let’s certainly hope so! I don’t think there’s a guarantee on that. But my thoughts are it only sounds fair. Right?

Yes, sounds fair to me! If only that's how life worked!

 

[Folly's place]

Some birds develop sooner than others and I don't think it relates to longevity. Give her a pep talk! You could try "Soon or soup!" for example. Will she listen? Likely not, but still...
It's still probably in the normal range for her breed, but if I was keeping a breeding group, she wouldn't be included, because early maturing is better.
Mary

 

[HeyHo]

Give her a pep talk!

I think my pep talks are finally working! Last week, she was spotted exploring the nesting boxes (although perhaps she was just doing this so the other girls don't know she's not laying yet).

Then she squatted for the first time today! Go figure -- the earliest sunset of the year and now is when she is starting to mature

 

[HeyHo]

OK another update. Over the past few days Coco's comb has grown significantly. She went from the runty one to a beauty! Unfortunately, she was there was some sort of pecking order scuffle and now she is now missing one of the new peaks on her comb! Almost all the way down -- it is very obvious. Poor girl! And I still don't think she's laying yet,

 

[alexa009]

If her comb is rapidly developing she should begin in a few weeks. Some chickens are late maturing and this can depend on the breed or daylight hours. My Barred Rock didn't begin until 9 months approximately.