***HELP*** EASTER EGGER...LATE egg laying 38 weeks old and no eggs

[aart]

haha, very funny, number9. Was just making the point that my 19 week old DelaRock pullet shows signs of laying and could start soon or may wait for months. You just never know.

But your typed 19 YEAR old....

My line of Delawares are very early maturing, most laying between 17 and 22 weeks of age, with most between 18 and 20 weeks, so it does happen, but you can't make one lay and you shouldn't get a certain breed because you read an article about it that said they begin laying at 20 weeks old and then go nuts when it doesn't. It's just one of those things.

Another point I'd make for the folks who are going nuts waiting: if a pullet takes her time starting to come into lay, lets her body develop to full sexual maturity, it's much better for her reproductive health over the long haul. So, that's something to think about. Remember the 7 year old late blooming EE hen I mentioned who is still laying and has had no reproductive issues in spite of her huge egg size.

Trust me, after you've raised hundreds of them, the wait is not as nail-biting insane as it was with your first ones. I have a 19 year old pullet right now, a mixed breed, and her comb and wattles are just now starting to turn more reddish-pink that yellowish-pink. Being a cross, I'd guess she may start around 25-28 weeks of age, but that's just a guess. She could be one of those Late Blooming Nellie's, but since I have other hens providing eggs, it's not an issue.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: @aart,

Omigosh, I did! Hahahaha, it was very funny! Good grief, joke's on me!

It usually doesn't take a 2x4 in the head to get me to see stuff, but wow, blame it on this time of year. Sorry, number9, that one blew right past me.


NOTE TO SELF: Slooooooooooow dooooooooown, WAY down.

 

[dekel18042]

When I started in chickens again after some time off, I got them locally. Then I wanted colored eggs and got some EE's and really liked them and their eggs. That made me want a multicolored egg basket hence the marans. Not only would they give me a different unique colored egg, but I wanted to use them to make olive eggers. But at almost seven months and over eight months, none of them are laying yet, while my own mixes and EE's have all started between 4 months one week and five and a half months. I'm asking myself if I really want to hatch the eggs of hens who take forever to lay. (OK, it just seems like forever)
My husband thought if he got some feed store layer types they would bring the average up while I continued to play around seeing what colors I could produce. Or I could just hatch the eggs of my best layers and forget about the colors. Then I would have EE's, mixes (OK I realize EE's by definition are sort of a mix) but I was working on some mixes who are giving me lots of large pinkish eggs. My buckeyes lay well too.
It's just the marans and dark egg layers who are not doing anything.
He thinks if I hatch more of my own, we'll be overrun with roosters. Like 100% rooster hatches. Oh, well, they're great for bug control,