Chicken laying start time

[nick lansford]

this is my barred rock, I got her October 5th at a couple of days old. This week she will be 20 weeks old... Since day 1 I've been aticipating an egg, her comb has grown ALOT and her wattles are red, because of the angle, the wattles look small, but are about a quarter to half an inch long, when should I be expecting an egg

 

[Judy]

The reddening of the comb and wattles is a good sign her time is coming soon. Their size is just part of genetics and shouldn't change. Sometimes they will start "squatting" when they are about to start laying -- they drop to the ground and spread out a bit, maybe raise their tail a bit -- actually the stance that tells the cock it's OK to mate. Sometimes you will see a little pinkish color on the legs and feet, due to a rise in hormone levels.

But in the end, each bird is an individual, and they will lay when their system is ready.