Do you think they are ready to lay?

[Oscarsgravett]

I purchased two pullets today one is a Red sex link and the other a speckled maran I asked the age and they said they were unsure but they are between 16-22 weeks. I looked at there faces and the combs are very red but there faces are so pale . About an hour after getting them they both went in the house's nestboxes and sat in there for about half an hour.

Do you think they are ready to lay? Or are the combs and wattles to small?

 

[XxMingirlxX]

I reckon the red sex link is ready to lay as the comb seems red enough, and that breed tends to lay early. As for the speckled marran, im not sure as I have not had that breed before however the comb doesn't look ready.

Please take into account that you have just got these birds and they are likely to be stressed, so even if it was a POL bird I still wouldn't expect them to lay for a couple of weeks until they got used to their surroundings.

Also I find that going off comb colour isn't an effective laying readyiness gauge. The best way to see how far off they are is by trying to pick them up. If they squat (the stand low to the ground and hunch with their wings above their shoulders) that means they are close because that is a position they do for roosters in mating.
Like this (image from Google)

 

[Oscarsgravett]

I reckon the red sex link is ready to lay as the comb seems red enough, and that breed tends to lay early. As for the speckled marran, im not sure as I have not had that breed before however the comb doesn't look ready.

Please take into account that you have just got these birds and they are likely to be stressed, so even if it was a POL bird I still wouldn't expect them to lay for a couple of weeks until they got used to their surroundings.

Also I find that going off comb colour isn't an effective laying readyiness gauge. The best way to see how far off they are is by trying to pick them up. If they squat (the stand low to the ground and hunch with their wings above their shoulders) that means they are close because that is a position they do for roosters in mating.
Like this (image from Google)

Thank you for the info i not expecting them to lay for a while i just wondered whether there combs were large enough to be laying or soon laying.
The red sex link does crouch like that when i pick her up the maran however runs riot or decides to give me a harsh peck on the hand

P.s sorry about the spelling mistake in the title , sometimes i dont know what's up with my spell check on my tablet.

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Thank you for the info i not expecting them to lay for a while i just wondered whether there combs were large enough to be laying or soon laying.
The red sex link does crouch like that when i pick her up the maran however runs riot or decides to give me a harsh peck on the hand

P.s sorry about the spelling mistake in the title , sometimes i dont know what's up with my spell check on my tablet.

Hahah no problem! My leghorn used to run around so much that I never could handle her if I didn't want to chase her for an hour first - and I raised her from a chick! She lets me now though thankfully.
As for the title at the top of the thread there should be an edit button where you can change the name of the thread if you want.

I'm glad I could help

 

[Oscarsgravett]

Hahah no problem! My leghorn used to run around so much that I never could handle her if I didn't want to chase her for an hour first - and I raised her from a chick! She lets me now though thankfully.
As for the title at the top of the thread there should be an edit button where you can change the name of the thread if you want.

I'm glad I could help

Haha we used to have a leghorn and she was exactly the same. And thank you i didnt see that button . I have just changed the title

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Cool!!!

 

[Oscarsgravett]

Good news! My red sex link layed a big brown first egg today on the floor in our stable !

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Good news! My red sex link layed a big brown first egg today on the floor in our stable !

Congratulations!!!!!
:yiipchick
She should soon learn that she is supposed to lay it in the nesting box, to help her along you could put eggs or golf balls in the nesting box so she gets the idea of that's where they are supposed to go.

 

[Oscarsgravett]

Congratulations!!!!!
:yiipchick
She should soon learn that she is supposed to lay it in the nesting box, to help her along you could put eggs or golf balls in the nesting box so she gets the idea of that's where they are supposed to go.

Thank you ! I didnt expect an egg that early as this is there first full day with me but if shes got to lay she will lay . Its the biggest first egg any of my flock has laid. Lets hope she's a jumbo layer lol . I will post a pic of it tomorrow if you want

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Thank you ! I didnt expect an egg that early as this is there first full day with me but if shes got to lay she will lay . Its the biggest first egg any of my flock has laid. Lets hope she's a jumbo layer lol . I will post a pic of it tomorrow if you want

I would like a pic!
If it's that big, it might be a double yolker, these are quite common in young birds that haven't been laying long because their system is still working out the faults etc. If it's only been a day since they arrived don't expect her to lay tomorrow or for a while, she might but don't be dissapointed if she doesn't. I say this because if it's only been a day she was probably in the process of making that egg at her old home, once an egg is in production even if the bird is stressed they tend to lay it asap and then not lay again until whatever was stressing then ceased. So now that she has got that egg out she might not lay again until she is used to her environment. :yiipchick