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

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

Hello all. Just wondering, I don't have any nesting boxes in the coop right now. My girls are only 11 weeks old. Should I put nesting boxes in now or wait?

yep i agree you need them about a month or so in advance so they can get use to them and they will between 4&6 months if sex_links some other breed wont start between 6&8 months as each breed is different but if not laying by time 8 months something is wrong but sex_links lay at 4to 6 months.

 

[cmom]

I would wait until just before they should start laying. If you put the nest boxes in too soon the pullets may want to sleep in them and then there is more of a chance of getting poopy eggs. This is just from my experience. Now I block the nest boxes in the coops until a week or so before I think they should be getting ready to start laying. I also put a golf ball in each nest box.

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

yep i agree you need them about a month or so in advance so they can get use to them and they will between 4&6 months if sex_links some other breed wont start between 6&8 months as each breed is different but if not laying by time 8 months something is wrong but sex_links lay at 4to 6 months.

yep this would be better and if ya cannot tell when they are ready to lay ince you fine an egg just put the nestbox in and put a golf ball in each one that way they will understand this is where the eggs need to be i have used golf balls for a stubborn hen that understand notice i said golf (balls)when a hen is stubborn if she thinks more than one hen is using the same spot she'll get the hint.

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

Oh

yep this would be better and if ya cannot tell when they are ready to lay ince you fine an egg just put the nestbox in and put a golf ball in each one that way they will understand this is where the eggs need to be i have used golf balls for a stubborn hen that understand notice i said golf (balls)when a hen is stubborn if she thinks more than one hen is using the same spot she'll get the hint.

i forgot to say as for telling when she will lay watch her little comb she will get a darker color when it close time for her to start laying.

 

[Jdc361]

Ok thank you all. I have 5 hens and 2 of them seem to have redder combs and face. The only think is the comb isn't getting much bigger and the waddles aren't really developing. So I'm a little confused.

this is one of the girls. This was from last week so its redder.

 

[Jdc361]

I just got some much better pics...

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[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

Ok thank you all. I have 5 hens and 2 of them seem to have redder combs and face. The only think is the comb isn't getting much bigger and the waddles aren't really developing. So I'm a little confused.

this is one of the girls. This was from last week so its redder.

some hens dont have much of a comb until at least right at laying and some hens have wattles and some hens don t.

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

Oh

I just got some much better pics...

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by the way when they are getting old enough to lay there little comb faces and waddles will be much redder almostcas red as a rooster.

 

[cmom]

I just got some much better pics...

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From your pictures they look like they are not ready to lay yet. Another thing when you touch them or put your hand over their back they will squat. This is another sign that they are getting close to starting to lay.

 

[cmom]

I'm don't remember if these were my ISA Browns or Red Sex-Links. This is an old picture and the color is not good. These pullets here had not started laying yet but started shortly after this picture was taken. There combs and wattles are more developed and redder here. Yours will lay, just be patient. It can take up to 6 months or longer for some to start to lay. In my experience they start laying generally 18 to 24 weeks. Some are early bloomers and some are late bloomers. Good luck and have fun...