Hen? Laying

[kaitlynsuzz]

I have 2 hens that are supposed to be the same age (around 23 weeks) but I'm only getting one egg. We think it's Meredith in the front with the big red comb. I'm a little worried about Molly because of her very small comb... I read through some other threads about EEs

having flat combs but didnt get an answer as to whether or not she will lay.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most EE have the smaller pea comb like Molly. A single comb is unusual for an EE, but they are mutts. EE vary widely in when they start. They look related. Are you sure both aren't laying just not on the same day. Most EE don't lay daily but every few days, at least the ones I've had did.

 

[kaitlynsuzz]

It could be both but Merideth spends more time in the nesting box. Perhaps we need to wait a little longer. Molly was the 'runt' when we got her but is now a little bigger than Meredith so we thought she might lay first. As long as the little comb doesn't mean anything serious, I'm happy

 

[aart]

Molly's small comb is just a different type of comb, and it is not red enough to signal sexual maturity, so I doubt she is laying.
I have an EE with a kind of slate colored pea comb....it's just starting to pink up at 19 weeks, I wondered if it would.
Merideth appears to have a crested bird in her genetic background...what color egg does she lay?
They look to be a different cross and one may mature and lay weeks before the other.
Where did you get the birds?

I've found checking pelvic points to be the most accurate to see who is laying.
Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points to be the most accurate.
Squatting:
If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.

Combs and Wattles:
Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.
Tho I have found that the combs and wattles can look full and red one minute then pale back out the next due to exertion or excitement, can drive ya nuts when waiting for a pullet to lay!

Vent:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying

Pelvic Points 2 bony points(pelvic bones) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.

 

[kaitlynsuzz]

This is a lot of great information! Thank you!!!

Yes Molly's comb is quite dull...

Meredith is laying light brown eggs (I saw her in the nesting box this morning so I'm sure it's her). They both have the same blue tinge to their feathers. I got them at 11 weeks from someone in another group who hatched them (So really they could be anything...) I like your point about being crossed with something else so maybe Molly will just take some more time.

We also have a EE rooster (or what we were told was EE... Although we were also told he was a hen!) and he has the same blue colouring in his feathers and a pea comb - so really they're all different!

Thank you for the feedback I'll just wait for Molly to finish growing up.