Is my 17-week-old BR getting ready to lay?

[anngili]

I've heard that most chickens don't lay until they're 20 weeks old or later but Rocky, my BR, seems to be maturing much faster than the other chickens I got at the same time, including the Golden Sex Link. She just did her first "egg squat" today but she did it 3 times in a row when I petted her. She's also taken to whining at me (sorry, don't know how else to describe it) and has acted even friendlier over the last few days.

I've included a couple of pictures that show her and one that shows her with the other two pullets that I got at the same time. The lightest one is a Buff Orpington and she's always been the biggest and fluffiest of the bunch but for some reason Rocky today looks almost as big, even though she's always been the smallest of these three.

Rocky's head shot:

Rocky jumping on the garden fence to greet me:

Rocky with her two gal friends:

A friend of mine who has raised chickens near here for her whole life said that I shouldn't expect eggs from my chickens for another month or two at the earliest and that some EEs I got at the same time would lay before my BR.

Am I imagining things or does it sound to you experienced flockmasters like my BR may actually be getting ready to lay in the next week or so?

Ann

 

[gritsar]

20 weeks is a very loose rule of thumb. Some pullets start earlier, some much later.
I suspect you'll be seeing eggs soon.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

I think that she's close to laying... I have 4 BR pullets coming up on 16 weeks and they look very similar.

 

[cw]

there combs and wattles will turn really red when there ready to lay,

 

[anngili]

Wow! Thanks for the good news! I better get the nest box ready sooner than I thought!!

Now I'll probably be running out to check the coop 10 times a day, too!

 

[cw]

where did they come from? my barred rocks came from ideal, and it seems they were layin pretty quick.

 

[anngili]

I got mine from Callahan's General Store in Austin and I've been told that they get their checks from Ideal Hatchery, too. I think I know where I'll get new ones in the future since it sounds like at least some of theirs might be early layers!
I'm going to call my friend who raises chickens tomorrow and tell her about your BRs laying early, too. When did you get your first egg?

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Love the expression on the dog's face! Wishful thinking

 

[cw]

it seems i got my first some where between 16 and 18 weeks

 

[anngili]

Eggs4Sale,
Thanks for the comment on my Border Collie, Gili. It is indeed wishful thinking! I had her on duty to keep the girls inside the garden. She's trained to herd and really, really wanted me to tell her it was okay to get inside and move the girls around the pen or take them in and out of the gate like sheep. She wanted to so bad she was totally obeying every command to a T, which she rarely did with sheep!

Her job was due to Rocky; Rocky had taken to flying out of the garden to great me when I walked in the backyard. I didn't fancy that since the gate was wide open and there's a dog from down the street who would love chicken dinner. And of course, then Rocky flew up onto the garden fence rail to get petted when I came over to take photos. You should have seen the look on my dog's face then! It was like she was saying, "I'm doing my job, WTH are you doing with that bird?!"

She forgave me when I picked up the gals and took them to their roost; that was more like me grabbing a sheep to treat it! She then decided she'd done such a good job that she deserved a second dinner (NOT!).