Do some mature faster than others?

[ecocheapomom]

We have 8 , 21 week old New Hampshire's and two of them started laying about two weeks ago. I am now getting a egg nearly every day from each of them and they are doing it on a schedule and in the nesting boxes (after a little coaxing). Yay for Bertha and Scarlet!
The rest of them haven't done a thing, though. Bertha and Scarlet look very different from the non-layers, too. They are larger, have large combs and big, moist vents. The others barely have combs at all and have very puckered vents. Will they ever catch up? Is it normal for some hens to reach laying readiness faster than others? Any input would be great. Thanks!

 

[Mahonri]

I have a year old + Blue Ameraucana pullet that has yet to lay an egg.

I have many pullets that are 30 weeks old and have yet to lay an egg

I have another group that are 21 weeks and none have laid yet.

The others should catch up eventually.

 

[fshinggrl]

The answer to your question is yes, some mature faster than others.

 

[1birdlady]

For sure, some mature faster than others.

We got these girls at 3 days old around Easter this year.

We have 4 Barred Rocks, and 2 matured fairly together at 18 weeks, showing red combs and wattles and giving us our first eggs. They are Martha and Maggie.

Of the other 2, Molly has just recently begun to have red comb and wattles, and lays sporadically; sometimes daily, sometimes every other day.

Now Mimi is the "way behind" one. She has a tiny comb, and hardly any wattles at all, and she has not yet begun to "squat". Needless to say, she is still a freeloader and has not produced an egg yet. Hopefully she'll soon get with the program!

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts.

Yes some birds mature faster than others. In two different flocks I had one in each start laying at 17 weeks. Most started laying from 20 to 24 weeks. My babies just turned 12 weeks. We will see.

 

[ecocheapomom]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I think we may have a third layer in the group as there was a small egg on the floor of the coop this morning and Then both Bertha & Scarlet went about their business in the nesting boxes. Two seem to be getting a least a bit more of a comb, but nothing compared to the other two. I've got to get a picture of Bertha. She is ridiculous! She is two as fat as some of the others and her comb is so big it flops right over. Plus, if you so much as walk into the run she squats. I love her!