Quality of light - Sun vs Shade - does this affect maturity???

[chuckzoo]

My two BRs are 17 weeks old on Thursday. One is showing more comb/ wattle growth than the other, but don't look like large and red like I have seen on some of the pictures. They are in the shade most of the day - I cover the run with 80% shade cloth to cut down on heat, which cuts down on light, is the lack of bright light affecting their rate of maturing?
They are not closed up in their coop, but go in when it's dark and come back down at day break.

 

[catlover8976]

I don't think that light or dark will affect how they grow. The one with more comb and wattle is more likely to be male, it shouldn't matter about colour too much. The colour may be just becuse of the chicken, all chickens are different and will grow differently.

Our chick pen is in the shade most of the day and they have always grown up to be strong, big and healthy.

 

[MIKE555444]

I know my BO's are 17 weeks and have a wide range of growth with a wide open run and only natural part shade.

I think they just vary ...

 

[chuckzoo]

Thanks for the replies. I have heard that if one gets chickens in the spring the tend to mature quicker than if you get them in the fall. I was wandering what the difference is.

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

If maturity is egg laying, I believe it has to with winter and the shorter days. Not light intensity (sun versus shade), but the actual length of the day. Spring chicks will mature mid-summer when the days are long so they start to lay. Fall chicks would mature mid-winter when the days are short. They wait until spring to lay when the days are longer. Thus the longer time.

Any experts out there feel free to tell me if I am wrong!!!!!