When will my Black Australorp lay

[Egg king]

Asalamulaikum
Hi
I have a black Australorp hen which is around 16 to 20 weeks old
I would like to know when would she start laying.I think she molted because i can see like small feathers which are still starting to grow her comb and wattles have some black but mostly have like pink

 

[Chookchicken]

Between 5-7 months I’d say is the average age to start laying for any hen. Every hen is different though and sometimes it‘s later or earlier. 5 months is to early to molt, though I wouldn’t be concerned. Normally hens don’t molt until they are around 18 months, or there second autumn (fall).

Hope this helps

 

[Egg king]

Thanks for the help
But shes still small built and she has like pins (if thats the correct way im saying it) in between some of her feather and i can see new feathers growing out
Kinda weird if you say they dont molt so early

 

[Chookchicken]

Thanks for the help
But shes still small built and she has like pins (if thats the correct way im saying it) in between some of her feather and i can see new feathers growing out
Kinda weird if you say they dont molt so early

Is she being picked on? What are you feeding her?

 

[Egg king]

I bought around a month ago
1 hen and 1 rooster
I had some starter grower from the precious chickens i had so i gave it to them till i think sometime last week then i mixed layers mash with starter grower

 

[Chookchicken]

You need at least 10 hens per rooster.

I don’t believe that the rooster is causing and problems at the moment but 1 hen to 1 rooster will cause lots of problems for the hen later.

@sourland any ideas what could be wrong?

 

[Egg king]

Yeah
I do plan on buying more hens a little later
I just dont was too many chicks

 

[saysfaa]

The first full molt is at about 18 months, at least for spring hatched birds. They also do a series of chick molts through their first five or six months. They don't go bare but the smaller feathers are gradually replaced by bigger feathers.

Of the Australorps I have, all from the same hatchery at the same time, one laid her first egg at 19 weeks and five days and one laid her first egg several weeks later.