Hi! I have four 25 week pullets. They are backyard mixes, our roo is an Ameruacana and then the moms were a Buff Brahma, Cuckoo Maran and a copper Maran. These pullets have had a super bright comb for weeks but don’t show any interest in laying.
How old do bigger mixes normally start laying?
Well, my Easter Eggs were bred as Easter Eggers from multiple generations of birds that look pretty much the same and act alike. Yes, they're hybrids, but they're a stabilized hybrid line. My older one was about 19 weeks, and the other is turning pink at 20 weeks.
You have F1 hybrids, the first generation of mix, so no telling what's going to happen! If the heritage breed input from the mom hens (the Brahma and Marans) runs the show, they might be on the later side. I don't know anything about egg-laying ages in true Ameraucanas (the dad). And with chickens, there are always tendencies, but there are easily as many or more individual quirks that defy the tendencies. Chickens gonna chicken!
Twenty-five weeks isn't that old - they're still a week short of 6 months old. With the bright red combs, it certainly does sound like they're close. Have they displayed any squatting behavior when you (pretend to) pet them or pick them up? Do you have fake eggs in your nesting boxes? Do you ever see them "playing house" in the nesting boxes, rearranging the bedding and so forth?
If they were two months older, I'd be really suspicious that they're laying in hidden places. Do they stay in a run, or do they go out and forage? If they're in a run, check corners and other places (under ledges) that a pullet might consider a hiding place. Check especially in areas where the litter is deeper. If they're in your yard, etc., they could be anywhere.
But again, there's a good chance that they'll just start any day if they like your nest box setup.
