Large BR Pullet about to be 36 weeks and hasn't laid!

[thriftyplants]

Hi all!

One of my two girls still hasn't laid her first egg and I'm beginning to worry. She's a rather large girl, I believe a BR, and close to 36 weeks. Is this normal??

My other girl is an Olive Egger, much smallet than the BR and started laying back in July. She's a solid every day layer.

The BR still doesn't squat and her legs are still very close together when she stands. She's overall very healthy with a full and quite large bright red comb. Its been large and red for over a month now.

I'm about to add 4 more girls to the flock and after that I'm not sure if I'll be able to tell if she's laying or not

 

[The Happster]

It's a girl.
I was not expecting the vent photo.

 

[HappyDuckie]

Erm.. that "hen" appears to be a rooster

 

[Susan1958]

She is nonbinary and asks that you respect her choices.

 

[thriftyplants]

She may still yet lay.
I have had many as late as 9 months.
There is still hope.

If she does, after I sing from the rooftop, I'll post approximately 100 pictures of her egg to this thread

 

[thriftyplants]

She is nonbinary and asks that you respect her choices.

I've been joking to my family that she has just decided she does not want any children!

 

[PhilSanchez]

Hen, very fortunate to have her as she is very fortunate to have you. Who cares of she ever lays an egg? Thank you for bringing this interesting discussion.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Actually, she seems to have some hormone issues. She isn’t male. But her comb is quite large, and she aaalmost resembles a roo, but isn’t. She’s a Cuckoo Marans, also.
As for the non-laying, these things may or may not resolve.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Yes, I know. But add it to the abnormally large comb and wattles, plus not laying when the other hen is, it points to roo for me.

I don’t know if this helps, but I did the math on my hen who started laying approximately in February, and she was 10 months old when she started laying, which is a bit older than this chicken. I just feel a rooster would look like a rooster at this point but I am NOT an expert, just interested in the discourse.

 

[DobieLover]

I would like to know your reasoning that it "cannot be" male.

She does not have male specific feathering and is not a member of a hen feathered breed.

It’s floppy huge comb and wattles but for you I hope it’s a hen

LOTS of single comb hatchery stock pullets/hens develop large combs and wattles. I have had hens that have combs twice the size of my roosters. Comb size is not gender specific.

I also think it's a Roo. It just hasn't crowed yet. My BR hen looks just like Love My Chickens, and started laying at 22 weeks. I also think the vent picture looks more Roo than hen.

She's still a pullet!

Yours also has HUGE feet especially like that last picture you recently posted I don’t know good luck

My Cuckoo Marans are both very large hens with thick legs and large feet to hold them up.

Looks like a rooster to me too.

And yet, she's still a pullet.

I've heard of this too and considered it a possibility!

Females don't spontaneously change gender. They more gradually take on male characteristics.
Is she mounting the other pullets?
Is she crowing? (Yes, a hen can crow).
Is she issuing predator alerts?
If none of the above, she is a late bloomer or she may not lay.

But that bird is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, female.

ETA: As for the requests for a better look at the spur buds to see if that gal is actually a rooster in the making, meet Olivia, layer of gorgeous olive colored eggs, and her spurs!