Topic of the Week - When Do Pullets Begin Laying?

[Trish1974]

All my girls (1 golden comet, 1 buff orp, and 3 black australorps) just turned 20 weeks old and no eggs yet. The golden comet has had a maturing comb and wattles for 2 1/2 weeks now and still nothing...

 

[lcertuche]

I left a comment on your link. Such cute girls. Mine are really sweet. The last few days I have noticed a great deal of weight gain in my pullets. I hope that means they are getting ready to settle into being a hen. Well I know that is officially a year but one truly is looking hennishly...( I don't think that is a real word), lol.

 

[lcertuche]

Our 3 pullets are about 15 weeks old but not much has changed in the comb and wattles department for a few weeks. We just got the girls roost-trained so no more trying to sleep and pooping in the nest boxes, yay! We know we still have at minimum a few weeks, but I'm excited already

Do the comb and wattles really wait till that same week to "pop"? We have the nest boxes blocked off, wondering when to open them up for business - I had been thinking maybe in another 2 weeks so they don't revert back from their roost-training?

Weekly pics of the girls! (will need to add a 15 week old one tomorrow)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/our-peeps-from-5-weeks-until-now

I left a comment on your link. Such cute girls. Mine are really sweet. The last few days I have noticed a great deal of weight gain in my pullets. I hope that means they are getting ready to settle into being a hen. Well I know that is officially a year old, but one truly is looking hennishly...( I don't think that is a real word), lol.

 

[chuck lady]

i have 2 silkies 26 weeks old and just got my first egg 3 days ago and one to day from one of them, and they were perfect was so excited. Her only sign was to check out the nest boxes a few days before hand. The other is showing no signs of laying yet.... also got 4 bantams 23 weeks old and no eggs but they are happy and will lay in their own sweet time i guess.... all the fun of owning chickens

 

[Metagirl]

I have 5 Red Stars.. Rosie1 started laying at 14 weeks, then stopped for 2 weeks, Rosie 2 just started laying at 16 weeks, Angel just started doing the rooster squat, I scratch them and gently pull their tails when they do that. They are small eggs tho, and Rosie 2 had two soft shell eggs before she got the hang of it..

 

[AmieD]

I got my first group of chicks on April 23rd. They are Dominiques, NH Reds, and White Leghorns. Two of the girls have large, dark red waddles and the rest are various sizes and shades of pinkish-red. I cannot wait until I get my first egg. I haven't heard any egg songs or seen any squatting yet. I did open the nesting boxes once they turned 16 weeks and I'm hoping that something will happen in the next few weeks. The guys at the farm store told me four months until they'd lay so I was quite disappointed to learn that wasn't the average. lol.

 

[Eagerbeaver]

I have 50+ chickens 10 of them are 19 weeks. Within the last 2-3 weeks their combs have gotten bigger but no eggs. I am Impatiently waiting. We have searched the property wondering if they are laying elsewhere besides their nesting boxes but no luck. I have 25 at 12 weeks, 7 at 9 weeks and 8 at 2 weeks with 15 in the incubator.... Yes chicken math as got me this year! I have orphingtons, Bantams, new jerseys, Ameraucana, BLRW, partridge,e rocks, leghorns, wellsummers, buff Brahmas, Cochin, barnyard mixes, and silkies! Just hatched a few Seramas too!!!

 

[javaferret]

Last week one of my Super Blue Egg layers started, then the second one, mid week the Black Copper Marans, and today one of the Blue Ameraucanas. I expected the two SBE to start laying first but was surprised the other two started right along with them! They were hatched by MPC April 4th, so fairly decent start time I guess.

Could tell they were getting close to being ready at the beginning of this month, the combs were definitely nice and red and they started making lil nests in the bedding inside of the coop. So far only the BCM and Blue AM are using the nest boxes, the SBE are laying them in the corner of the coop tucked up in-between the bucket waterer and pvc feeder. Will see if making that corner less inviting will move those two into the nest boxes.

 

[BuffOrps416]

I had four BO's (now I have two). The first one laid her first egg when she was 5.5 months old and the others within the next month. Like the week following up to it she would crouch when I got near her... I recommend when you see that to have a next box ready because I felt so bad for mine: she made her nest in the dirt and filled it with some leaves. Granted, it was really cool to watch.

 

[worms7]

If I buy pol birds how long after transporting & stress
should they lay
cheers Phil