Have your chickens started to squat yet?

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I tell them several times a day to go lay an egg...seriously getting the shine from them.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I am a first time mom too! I have read that egg laying can happen as early as 16 weeks, but I think that is very much focused on the production breeds haha. I bet yours are close though! I learned how to check their pelvic bones as a way to test how close they are. There are two pointy ended bones immediately beneath the vent...if you can fit two to three fingers in between those two pointy bones, then they are really close! The breeds you got should lay soon-er than mine...I read Wyandottes are slow to mature and so are silkies...but Marans and BRs seem to be faster to mature! I bet you see pretty eggs soon!

I am having a chicken atomy brain moment, the combs are small compared to what I see in photos. One has a slightly taller one. All of them are really red in color.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Depends on the breed and where you got them I’ve learned! My GLW is almost 7 months and STILL no eggs. My silkies seem close and they’re about 7.5 months old. I’ve heard that hatchery stock lay sooner, and the production breeds lay lots sooner. But I wouldn’t know because my chickens are SLOOOOW freeloading birds The GLW has finally almost got a red face and some comb…so I think she’s close!

Oh, they know how good they have it. Freeloading is an understatement...That first egg better be made of gold. I've invested and embarrassing amount of cash for them. I just love them so it is worth it.

 

[kurby22]

I am having a chicken atomy brain moment, the combs are small compared to what I see in photos. One has a slightly taller one. All of them are really red in color.

Sounds like they are close then! My GLW had no comb at all to speak of, and it's just now starting to grow. I think BRs get pretty good sized combs by full maturity even as hens, and Marans are sort of in between. The redness is the key!

 

[kurby22]

Oh, they know how good they have it. Freeloading is an understatement...That first egg better be made of gold. I've invested and embarrassing amount of cash for them. I just love them so it is worth it.

I understand completely! Haha, they are some expensive hobbies/pets haha I do love mine too though, so it is all good.

 

[WIchickMama]

Depends on the breed and where you got them I’ve learned! My GLW is almost 7 months and STILL no eggs. My silkies seem close and they’re about 7.5 months old. I’ve heard that hatchery stock lay sooner, and the production breeds lay lots sooner. But I wouldn’t know because my chickens are SLOOOOW freeloading birds The GLW has finally almost got a red face and some comb…so I think she’s close!

My SLW is 27 weeks tomorrow and still no egg, as well as my light Brahma. I think it all depends on the chicken as well as the breed. None of mine laid before 21 weeks.

 

[MageofMist]

All my pullets, around 6 months old, squat for me when I pick them up, and sometimes when I pet them. Even the newest gal, Tiny, who is a year old hen who I thought would need longer to get used to me.

if you don’t have a rooster hens will squat down for the one they consider alpha which will be you or whoever takes care of them daily. They become submissive to you without a rooster, that’s how they squat when a rooster climbs them.

I have two cockerels, Snowbell and Jeremy, but the hens squat to me as well as the boys, though the hens have preference between which boy will be permitted to mount her. Dolly only allows Jeremy, Boo only allows Snowbell and... Betty doesn't care who it is.
Tiny also seems to be developing a preference towards Snowbell, which is a bit of a bummer as I hoped she'd take to Jeremy as I want to see what would come out of their eggs, with Jeremy being a gold coacoapuffed and Tiny being a gold double lace (even if not purebred Serama, it still be intriguing.) Though Snowbell is Jeremy's brother, so there's still hope the combo might still happen from them.