Late Bloomer

[Pine9]

So my anconas (+ one mottled java) are nearly six months old now, all but one have been laying for the past month or two. Benny (short for Benedict), the chicken pictured in my avatar, has not started laying. Her comb is large but pale while everyone else's is vibrantly red. She still seems very healthy. She's arguably the most curious chicken in the flock! She's not exactly at the top of the pecking order, but I don't think she's at the bottom either. Do you think she is sick, just a late bloomer, or unable to lay eggs?

 

[azygous]

It could be all of those. I just had a Marans two-year old hen die after laying for just a few months after she turned six months. She developed a very pale comb and wattles, probably from a tumor on her pituitary or in her sex organs. She recently died.

Also, some individuals are more sensitive to light changes, and your pullet's body may have decided to wait until spring to begin laying. Or she may surprise you and just be developing late.