I have 3 questions; when will my hen(s) lay & ...

[Vicschx]

My Hens are 20 weeks and no eggs yet....My DH says they need a rooster to hurry them along but I told him I don't think that is true. Can someone tell me?

 

[Buhbuhz24]

Here are some Pictures;

I couldn't figure out how to put them up so you can see right here on the same post so I provided links!
& sorry they were 'foraging' around and moving a lot so I couldn't really get real good shots. Plus I had to use the webcam on my laptop!

Blehk, I just wanna know your opinion on how old they look , what breed, and gender? Im thinking the yellow one is a Buff Orpington, but I don't know what the brown girl/guy is? Plus I can't tell if they are hens or roos

Link(s):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63795158@N05/?saved=1

there should be 5 pictures? (Ignore my hamster.. lol )

 

[Buhbuhz24]

Oh my goodness, Thanks, ronott1! You saved me a million years worth of searching for my post ^.^

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Chickens start laying eggs at different ages based on breeds. You can look up what the average is for yours. My breeds(RIR, Red Star and Australorp) start laying at 5 to 6 months, so if yours are like min, 20 weeks is about when they will start. Could be four more weeks though. My Australorps are driving me crazy--they are 21 weeks and four of the five of them are showing egg laying signs(red wattles and combs, egg squat and egg song) but now eggs!

Roosters don't have anything to do with laying eggs. Some have said a rooster can be a hindrance if they cause stress. Are you feeding them layer? That gives them the nutrition to lay eggs.

Ron

 

[Vicschx]

Quote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Chickens start laying eggs at different ages based on breeds. You can look up what the average is for yours. My breeds(RIR, Red Star and Australorp) start laying at 5 to 6 months, so if yours are like min, 20 weeks is about when they will start. Could be four more weeks though. My Australorps are driving me crazy--they are 21 weeks and four of the five of them are showing egg laying signs(red wattles and combs, egg squat and egg song) but now eggs!

Roosters don't have anything to do with laying eggs. Some have said a rooster can be a hindrance if they cause stress. Are you feeding them layer? That gives them the nutrition to lay eggs.

Ron

Hi Ron!
Thanks for your answers! I am feeding them they Layena pellets and some other veggies left over from dinner. I have Barred Rocks,1 Cochin,1 silver lace and 1 new hamshire red. I guess I can look them up. Thanks again..I did not realize the different breeds had different laying scheduals...the book said 18-24 weeks. I will print your answer out and give it to dh about the roosters. Another myth...and I told him that, too!

 

[pixiedouglas]

Quote:
That looks like a speckled sussex and a buff orpington, the SS might be a rooster with the redness of that comb, or she just might be getting close to lay. I don't really see any other roosterish signs, but I'm not a sussex expert. You might get more responses on gender/breed if you make a post in that gender/breed forum and list those two breeds asking for confirmation. I think for sure your BO is a pullet though.

 

[Nic&Chickies]

I thought the lighter of the two looks like my Comet. (Can't help with the other one. If people say Sussex, I'll go with that.) I thought BO's were more even in their coloring; or is that just an age thing, it'll smooth out as she gets older?

 

[Buhbuhz24]

Thanks guys! Helped me loads, I looked up 'speckled sussex' in google images and I do think that (s)he is a speckled sussex. I was sure that the BO was a male? Just because (s)he likes to charge at people with wings out and 'fluff' or 'poof' the neck feathers while doing so.. hmm, maybe she just likes to give me a scare? But.. I'm still not quite sure on the age, my father said that when he got them, the farmer told us they were still chicks. So he didn't give us an exact age. I think maybe 2months? Any opinions?

 

[Nic&Chickies]

Is there any way to reach the farmer they came from? Maybe you could ask if he knows their hatch date.

 

[Katydid2011]

Welcome to BYC!

Your chickens both look like pullets to me. As for breed, the lighter one looks like a Sex-Link (Comet), not a Buff Orpington, imo.