When did your sex links start laying?

[jyurina]

I bought 4 week old sex link chicks(two black, two red) toward the end of December. So they are almost 14 weeks now and I noticed that they are starting to redden up. I have also been reading that they tend to mature faster and some people have sex links that started laying at 16 weeks! Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[hotrodflash]

Mine started at 22 weeks and the rest have came along in the following 2 weeks.

 

[TravisE]

i have four red sex links. i had one that started at 16 weeks, one at 17 weeks, one at 18 weeks, and the last one didnt lay til she was 28 weeks. ive heard of some starting at only 15 weeks. so if i were you. id make sure your nest boxes are ready.
hope this helps

 

[puffin311]

Mine started at 20 weeks and the rest followed a couple of days later. They lay daily for about 20 days then break for one and star again. abstiNence big eggs too.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

My 20 RSL started laying between 18 - 20 weeks. 16 weeks can happen, but isn't as desirable. Many layer houses use feed changes to keep their RSL from laying until they are older and will lay higher quality eggs.

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Mine started laying a little after 18 weeks.

 

[jyurina]

Thanks for the info. They are all on starter/grower but have started to get into the crushed shells my other layer eats for calcium. Well we are ready either way. Nest boxes are go.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Got my sex links as pullets so only have approximate hatch dates. The RSL was a bit older and already laying. She's an absolute machine, gives me a huge egg about 6 days a week. The two BSL's were of "laying age" when I got them the end of June. I was told they should start laying "any day" and they'd been born in March. Well, they hung on and didn't begin laying until August! For a while there I was afraid they were roosters!

While I don't have any definite number of weeks for you, don't be surprised if the black ladies take longer than the red. They seem to do things differently, too. Although younger, the two BSL's went through mini-molts in January/February. The older RSL hasn't dropped a feather yet. The RSL laid well all through winter, the two BSL's came to a halt when molting began. One is over it and is laying again. The other has yet to resume laying.

 

[Manningjw]

i have four red sex links. i had one that started at 16 weeks, one at 17 weeks, one at 18 weeks, and the last one didnt lay til she was 28 weeks. ive heard of some starting at only 15 weeks. so if i were you. id make sure your nest boxes are ready.
hope this helps

Our red sex link layed somewhere between 16 weeks and 18 weeks, I cannot remember now but it was very early.

Our current red sex link is about 16 weeks old and she doesn't look like she will be laying anytime soon. I would put money on her being a different cross to create the sex link and our first chicken was probably an ISA brown with the Rhode Island White genes in her.