Show off your Red sex-links!! [[pictures included]] !! (:

[cmom]

How many weeks is it before the red sex links start laying? I know it varies by breed. What are your guys personal experiences?

My earliest was at 16 weeks, but usually 20 to 24 weeks. It varies by the birds also. Some just mature quicker than others.

 

[jalabtek]

how old?

 

[cmom]

how old?

 

[KlingKlan]

Ok, well we got our 1st 2 eggs over the past 2 days (

), but DH interupted the one girl this morning by taking the water bucket out of the coop to hang in the run... I am NOT a happy momma!

Anywayz, the girls seem to be finishing their molt and have gotten new, fluffy, adorable feathers. With these new feathers, their sex link status is kind of in question for me lol. Now this is my first flock, we got them at a small animal auction almost 2 weeks ago and were told simply that they were "red production hens"... which led many on BYC to believe they were past laying age, well we're getting eggs so there's that at least

. So I'm bringing pics to the experts in this thread in hopes you can clear this up for me lol!

First, the eggs:

The 1st egg we got on Sunday held up next to a grocery store "large" by my 10 yr old (he's soo excited hehe).

Then the 2nd egg from yesterday in the carton(on the left side) next to the 1st egg, 2 different girls are laying, 2 fairly different eggs.



Now here are pics of my girls having their treat this morning:

The one on the right is still growing back her roo stolen feathers lol, the one on the left I am questioning her breed status, sorry for the poor quality pic.

I moved the dish so they wouldn't be in shadow.


The girl at the top and the girl at the bottom are now "mottled" with their new feathers.


So what say you Red Sex Link experts, are all 4 of my girls still RSL's?!

 

[cmom]

Ok, well we got our 1st 2 eggs over the past 2 days (

), but DH interupted the one girl this morning by taking the water bucket out of the coop to hang in the run... I am NOT a happy momma!

Anywayz, the girls seem to be finishing their molt and have gotten new, fluffy, adorable feathers. With these new feathers, their sex link status is kind of in question for me lol. Now this is my first flock, we got them at a small animal auction almost 2 weeks ago and were told simply that they were "red production hens"... which led many on BYC to believe they were past laying age, well we're getting eggs so there's that at least

. So I'm bringing pics to the experts in this thread in hopes you can clear this up for me lol!

First, the eggs:

The 1st egg we got on Sunday held up next to a grocery store "large" by my 10 yr old (he's soo excited hehe).

Then the 2nd egg from yesterday in the carton(on the left side) next to the 1st egg, 2 different girls are laying, 2 fairly different eggs.



Now here are pics of my girls having their treat this morning:

The one on the right is still growing back her roo stolen feathers lol, the one on the left I am questioning her breed status, sorry for the poor quality pic.

I moved the dish so they wouldn't be in shadow.


The girl at the top and the girl at the bottom are now "mottled" with their new feathers.


So what say you Red Sex Link experts, are all 4 of my girls still RSL's?!

Don't worry about interrupting them while they are laying. They may get off their nest but after the interruption is over they will get back on and do their thing. Yes all of your girls look to be RSL's. Their eggs will be a little different in shades of brown. Some will be lighter than others. Good luck and have fun.

 

[KlingKlan]

Don't worry about interrupting them while they are laying. They may get off their nest but after the interruption is over they will get back on and do their thing. Yes all of your girls look to be RSL's. Their eggs will be a little different in shades of brown. Some will be lighter than others. Good luck and have fun.

And she did too... now we have 3 eggs in as many days. Penelope (the 2nd whitest/fluffiest) gave us the 1st egg on Sunday and our 3rd today, they are the largest eggs which would be larger even than "jumbo" eggs in the grocery store. Gerrty (Gertrude, who has next to no white and we thought was the oldest and wouldn't lay) gave us the 2nd egg yesterday, a rounder "extra large" or "jumbo" by grocery store standards, and lighter egg yesterday. Today Penelope gave us the largest and roundest egg yet, but was lighter brown than her first egg. Now to get the other 2 girls on the bandwagon lol!

I also just put some light yellow plastic easter eggs stuffed with socks in the nesting boxes today in hopes that they stop laying in the "loft" and stop sleeping in the nesting boxes... They've got it backwards so I can't reach the eggs and have to clean poop out of the nesting boxes every morning

!!! Chicken training... whoda thunk?!

Thanks for setting me straight about their breed, I like being able to know what I have and then can accurately educate anyone who asks!

 

[cmom]

Quote: Golf balls work well in the nest boxes.

 

[tnspursfan09]

Some babies from my RSL hens and BO or WLH roosters.








The buff ones are from my BO hen and the white ones are from my little leghorn, Dora.

 

[lularat]

I just love fluffy butts!

 

[nab58]

A couple of pics of my RSLs from today.