can she be ready to lay?

[karlamaria]

I have 4 pullets that are 18 weeks old. there a mix, rhode island reds and RIR and ameracauna mix. even one copper maran. my question is, one of the pullets has a bright red comb and waddles, ( the pure RIR ) but not as big a comb and waddle as my last years buff orphingtons and astrolorps.
she is not tame like my other big girls, as I bought the pullets at 12 week olds and there skittish so I do not know if they do the egg squatt as I can not get that close to them. ( taming them down every day with treats and lots of love and free ranging. it just seems she is more redder in the face and her body is rounder then the others. can she be ready enough to lay yet ? if so I better be keeping her in the pen and close to the nest boxes right? I have one huge nest box, but my broody is taking over that one and being a pain, so I ordered 2 more nest boxes for the pullets to use. will be adding golf balls o these for the pullets. my question really is, if she is the same age as the other birds, why is she more mature and redder ? maybe because she is the pure RIR and the rest are mixed with birds who lay later then the RIR ?

 

[AlienChick]

Yeah, she may be ready to lay.
You never know until that first egg pops out.
I thought my RIR would lay first, but it was my EE that layed the first egg at 17 weeks old.
And don't sweat it about the nest boxes; you can use anything you have laying around.
I currently use an old planter that I put on the floor. (This happens to be the most preferred nest box.)
I also use cat litter boxes and an old bookcase.

 

[karlamaria]

Im so excited. I ordered these nest boxes to attach to my coop wall, I liked that they were deep and comfy looking. my broody will not let my other 2 girls even near the nest box so I had to order more. I have been trying to break her broodyness for weeks now. cold baths, caged you name it. now I have her in a dog crate in the coop as she will not let the other birds even roost. she is mad as I locked her out of the nest box all together. I had to crate her so all the other birds can sleep lol. Im also locking her out of the coop during the day now since the other 2 girls have had to lay there eggs on the coop floor, and one girl has decided to lay under my porch ! I got these new nest boxes so the pullets can have a place to lay as well as the other girls when the buff goes broody. which is several times in one year. Im going to let her brood one more batch of eggs come march next year then give her to someone who needs a broody. she is all about mothering and not laying. .

 

[karlamaria]

wow that use of a shelf was ingenious!! love it