So here's what happened....

[User395221]

(Yes, I've been watching Monk )

I've been popping out to the run to fling some crumble for the chicks because everything got rained on, including the tray on the feeder. I left the run door open behind me because it would only take a minute. All of a sudden, Grace leaps into the air and does a karate/ninja kick move at Lucy. Except it wasn't Grace. It was Raven, who'd walked in behind me (and who is the same colour as Grace) to help herself to what was being "served". Have you ever falsely accused one of your girls? (Grace is lovely, she wouldn't do such a thing).

I think my Daisy has started laying. She had her head under one of the isa browns bum (who was sitting in the nest box). I found a lot of eggs (I hadn't collected yesterday) and some were small. It has to be her, because I know what Marcy and Raven's look like, and the isa browns aren't really laying any more, I think (and they did bigger, brown eggs) not this little smooth white one.

How does development work in chickens? Daphne was much smaller than Daisy when I got them, so I thought she must be younger, but she still seems undeveloped, her comb and wattle haven't really grown big or coloured up. How much of a variation in development is normal? She won't start laying until she has her big comb, will she?

 

[theuglychick]

Do you have pics of the pullets and hens in question?

What beeeds are they? Some hens don't grow large combs and wattles, depending on the breeds.

How red are their faces, combs, and wattles?

 

[User395221]

What beeeds are they?

They are exactly the same type, they are white leghorn/rhode island (I think) crosses (sex link chickens, they are white so they know they are girls). They were supposed to be the same age (12 weeks) when i got them, I thought daphne was a bit younger, but her development seems even slower/later than a couple of weeks. Maybe she was much younger than I thought. i thought I saw some reddening of her "bits" today, she might have started growing up.... Daisy is all red and she's started laying, but Daphne's are still small and pale pink. Maybe she's just a "late bloomer", is there such a thing in the chicken world?

 

[User395221]

Here's Daisy

And here's Daphne

Just looking at her when I took the photos this morning, she is starting to redden around her eyes and face, so she seems to be developing.

 

[LavvyTaffy]

Here's Daisy
View attachment 1135776
And here's Daphne
View attachment 1135777

Just looking at her when I took the photos this morning, she is starting to redden around her eyes and face, so she seems to be developing.

The same thing happened with my White Leghorn chicks this spring... They all turned out to be pullets (thank goodness.). Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[theuglychick]

There are late bloomers in the chicken world. That could be the case here.

However, I am interested in the fact that they're White Leghorn X Rhode Island Red crossed pullets and they're white.

Traditionally, if I'm not mistaken, for that cross to be sexable by color, a white leghorn rooster is put over a Rhode Island Red hen and results in a white cockerel, usually with red on the wings, and red pullet with little to no white feathering usually on the tail area.

My understanding is that you CAN cross them the other way, with a Rhode Island Red rooster over a white leghorn hen but the chicks would NOT be sex-linked in color, but feathering type (fast/slow), meaning they can be either color, but are sexed as day olds by evaluating how fast their wing feathers come in.

Being that they're both white maybe that's what's going on here.

Can you get side pics of the lesser developed one so we can see neck and hackle feathers?

 

[User395221]

However, I am interested in the fact that they're White Leghorn X Rhode Island Red crossed pullets and they're white.

I was mistaken about Rhode Island, it seems they're New Hampshire cross leghorn (it's all New England to me ). I know nothing about breeding chickens, don't really understand what 3/4 means. The young man who gave me the girls did tell me they knew who the girls were because they were white
http://compspoultry.com.au/¾-leghorn/

Can you get side pics of the lesser developed one so we can see neck and hackle feathers?

I can try, they are a bit skittish and are always moving. I was lucky to get decent photos before.

 

[User395221]

Here are some more photos of Daphne.