Gender and POL soon?

[SeaChickens]

My chickens will be 5 months old in a few days. Pretty certain all are pullets, but wondering why there is such a difference in comb/waddle size between my three. They're from Meyer Hatchery so not show-quality but healthy and nice birds.

My main question: my Lorp is a pullet, right? She doesn't seem to have any pointy saddle or hackle feathers but her tail feathers are a little long and curved. But more baffling to me is that she hardly has any comb or wattles. I guess this is a good sign she's a girl but does it mean she's a runt or something? She is smaller than the other two for sure but has filled out a little bit lately. Will she be a bad layer since she's small or does that not matter?

My BR and RIR/Production Red seem to be getting close to full grown so maybe laying soon - what do you guys think? Or will they wait for spring? I'm not supplementing with light or heat. Will it hurt their overall laying if they wait so long to start?


Lotte the Lorp


Lotte


Pepper


R.C. aka Red Chicken

 

[willowbranchfarm]

They all look like hens. They should start laying in the spring. And no it shouldn't hurt them to wait that long.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

All pullets. Even though the Australorp has long tail feathers, you can see that they are not pointed and there are no male saddle/hackle feathers.

The Barred Rock and Red should begin laying soon judging by the redness/fullness in the comb and wattles. I'd say the Red will lay first, she's very full and red in the comb.

Edit:
Since they are production hatchery birds, they are not usually going to be as big as SOP birds. They should outlay SOP birds also because high production is what the hatcheries select for.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Spring? I bet that they'll lay before that, being production line birds. They might just wait until 24-26 weeks of age like some of my pullets are doing.

 

[Smoochie]

All hens... Pepper and RC look ready to lay an egg soon.

 

[hdowden]

pullets and due to shorter daylight hours they will probably not lay until next year.

 

[Smoochie]

pullets and due to shorter daylight hours they will probably not lay until next year.

Yeah hdowden is probably right. Also, laying late is better than laying early as they can run into all sorts of problems if their bodies aren't ready. If you supplement with light you may be able to convince them that the season is right for reproduction.. Otherwise they will make it up to you come springtime.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

There all happy hens!

 

[SeaChickens]

Thanks everyone! I'm okay with them taking their time to lay. Its so gloomy and rainy here this time of year so I don't blame them for waiting. Lotte will hopefully have a growth spurt at some point so she'll catch up with the other two. I wonder if Autralorps are normally slower growing?

 

[Yardfarm Family]

I have 10 pullets, first girl laid her egg Nov. 4th at 24 weeks old...since then 5 are now laying and they each lay an egg a day, maybe taking one day off. My smallest pullet, a red star has laid a jumbo size egg from day one. I worried they wouldn't lay until Spring, but it hasn't stopped them and I chose not to supplement any light either. Once they started squatting they laid their first egg within a week. Now just waiting on the other 5.....It is so crazy exciting to get those first eggs, the newness has not rubbed off yet. Best to you and yes, those are all girls!