chicken puberty?

[smnytx]

OK, my three girls are now about 21 weeks old, so I'm waiting with bated breath for the first egg to appear. I opened the nest boxes, and put some golf balls in, so hopefully, they'll get the idea.

They all look mature enough now. Our "alpha" pullet, Rhody the RIR, has started a strange behavior. She's always been the friendliest, and the most likely to tolerate being picked up. However, whenever my husband is out there, she comes up and starts pecking on him - his shoes, his pants, whatever she can get. She even gently bit his arm the other day (not pecked, BIT). I am starting to think she may consider him the "rooster" of the family!

All three of them are much likelier to come up to us, but it seems like it's just a Pavolovian thing, since we usually have treats. Still, as soon as they see us come into the backyard from their tractor, they start "talking" to us - they're very much louder than before.
Still, though - no eggs yet.

Thoughts?

 

[gardener]

I have two RIR's and they are 22 weeks old. One has started laying since last week. And the other is close too. Mine will squat when I go to pat them on the back and this is a good sign that they are getting ready to lay as this is a mating behavior. The one started this behavoir about a week before it started laying and the other one started this same behavior a few days ago and has yet to lay, I think as it is hard to tell who lays
but I am only getting one egg a day so I assume only the one is laying, as soon as I get a two egg day I'll now for sure the other has started.