Ok?

[Tasha1981]

I have hatchery RIR. 16 sweet girls and 1 handsome rooster. They all just turned 14 weeks old, either Sunday or Monday.

I have a 2 girls who have redder combs and faces than the rest. However when I went out to freshen their water at 11, one of my girls who is still very pale and pink was making a lot of noise. She was very vocal. Just singing up a storm. It caught Johnny Mack attention and he mated her twice in the 5 minutes they came out their run to free range (it's hot, they quickly got tired of the sun). I noticed a nest yesterday afternoon had been messed with. A perfect little indention with the fake egg pushed out.

I know they are ONLY 14 weeks. I know some start laying at 16 weeks. But I was surprised that is was 1 of my pale combed girls singing. I thought I would hear my first eggs song from one of the two girls that have much redder combs.

 

[Tasha1981]

Has anyone experienced anything like this before? 14 weeks is very young.

 

[Tasha1981]

Singing and making a nest.

The one I thought would be first.

 

[N F C]

I think my earliest was 16 weeks old. But some of our girls do have paler combs and wattles than others and they lay just fine. Maybe one of those quirky coloration things?

 

[aart]

It can be a few weeks after submitting for mating and checking out nests before they actually lay.
Color of comb can vary greatly and not a finite sign of onset of lay.

Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points to be the most accurate.
Squatting:
If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.

Combs and Wattles:
Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.
Tho I have found that the combs and wattles can look full and red one minute then pale back out the next due to exertion or excitement, can drive ya nuts when waiting for a pullet to lay!

2 bony points on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.