New Hampshire reds and other stuff

[Aurelious]

My new hampshire reds did seem to mature much faster than my other chickens. Is this consistent within this breed?

Also do leghorns mature as quickly?

 

[tiki244]

leghorns mature quickly and I dont know anything about NHReds except their a chicken and orangeish in color

 

[firem3]

they do mature and feather faster than some, but that doesnt affect the time it takes to start laying eggs

 

[jossanne]

Leghorns mature very quickly. I've got 4 3wk old babies, and they're more feathered out than any of the rest of my chicks. I also have an 18wk leghorn pullet who started laying 11 days ago, and has given us 11 eggs. They are early layers as well as early to mature.

 

[Aurelious]

I was under the impression that birds who feather out more quickly and develop their combs/wattles first will start laying first. But you are saying early maturation doesn't equal earlier egg laying? are you sure on this?

 

[tadkerson]

Comb size and color are external expressions of the maturity of the ovaries or testes. I have raised hundreds of female birds and the comb color is an excellent indicter that a pullet is ready to lay. Feathering is controlled by genes so this does not always indicate maturity. When a pullets comb turns bright red, their reproductive organs are gearing up for egg production. Certain conditions may delay egg laying, but they will still have a bright red comb and will lay once the conditions change.

Tim