How to tell if a Hen is ready to start laying.

[NatJ]

Mc Murray claims brown leghorns start laying at about 6 months, so your birds are still quite young yet.

Where does it say that?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/single_comb_brown_leghorns.html
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/rose_comb_brown_leghorns.html
In the "quick stats" part of each page, I find age of maturity in weeks: 19 for Single Comb Brown Leghorns, 20 for Rose Comb Brown Leghorns. That makes about 4 1/2 months.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

was what my search turned up. I had seen much earlier dates on other sources, particularly white leghorn, that's why I sourced with a caveat. Its repeated in the Q&A for the link on single combed brown.

@NatJ - same in the link you identified, which seems to be the same web page. Apparently, Mc Murray defines "maturity" and start of egg laying as different events??? Who knew...

/edit and TY for challenging me. Always good to double check sources, and I'd rather be wrong and correct immediately than provide erroneous info for time immemorial. Can't learn if I don't know I'm in error.

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ - same in the link you identified, which seems to be the same web page. Apparently, Mc Murray defines "maturity" and start of egg laying as different events??? Who knew...

Definitely strange!

 

[Jersey giant lover]

Check their vents, if they are white or yellow then they will lay in the next 10 days. But I do have a hen who is laying, but never turned white OR yellow (she isn't right in the mind).