Maturity of chickens

[SD13]

Ok this is weird to me. We ordered 24 total Red sex links at the beginning of May. Of that, we split with our friends who were also starting a backyard chicken hobby. We finally have eggs as of last week, and as of this week we are getting around 2 a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Our friends chickens (from the same batch as ours) Started laying a week before ours and are giving them 4 eggs a day as of last week, and 90% of their combs are MASSIVE compared to ours. We only have 3 that have largeish combs, while most of theirs are very prominent.
We both feed them the same feed. (We give ours more produce like zucchini and such) and we let ours free range around the yard most days while our friends keep theirs in a run.
So my question (as stupid as it is), did they way we’ve raised ours delay their maturity somehow?

 

[rosemarythyme]

How much produce were you giving them? Potentially you were diluting down the protein in the feed if the treats were a large part of their diet, which could slow growth.

 

[SD13]

I was giving them a giant zucchini a week, which they would eat in a matter of hours. I read they are natural dewormers and my friends garden was out of control with zucchini’s. I would also give the end cuts of our romaine lettuces but I found our ducks like that more than the chickens. Does free ranging also prevent them from getting more protein?

 

[aart]

Does free ranging also prevent them from getting more protein?

Probably they eat less of the feed, so yeah.
What kind of feed are you using?

 

[SD13]

Probably they eat less of the feed, so yeah.
What kind of feed are you using?

We have started mixing 2:1 Grower and Layer now that we have started getting eggs. We get them from our local feed store.

 

[Crazy Fun Chicken Lady]

The same thing happened to me last year. I raised chicks for myself and a friend. She took them home at 14 weeks ish. We fed the same feed but my free ranged more. Hers stared laying MUCH sooner than mine.

 

[GC-Raptor]

So my question (as stupid as it is), did they way we’ve raised ours delay their maturity somehow?

I believe so.
Poultry feed has everything a chicken needs for each stage of life.
Anything extra that they consume will delay maturity.
My Pullets don't get anything but Start and Grow feed and water for the first 10 weeks. Then a Tbsp of Scratch Grains each daily.
My chickens don't free range till a month after all are laying.
My first Flock Golden Comets started to lay at 16.5 weeks, all were laying at 19 weeks.
My second Flock Barred Rocks started at 20 weeks, all were laying by 23.
My current Flock ISA Browns started to lay just over 17 weeks, at 18.5 weeks 3 of 5 are laying.

GC