When will my pullets start laying?

[junebuggena]

With the bantams, the cockerels are much faster to develop than SF Cochins, but the females take about the same amount of time to mature.

 

[jwyles]

With the bantams, the cockerels are much faster to develop than SF Cochins, but the females take about the same amount of time to mature.

Good to know! I've really been wondering about that. My little frizzle Cochin is so tiny I keep wondering if she'll grow but she seems to be at a standstill. She's one of my oldest at 14 weeks and by far the tiniest. Even being way smaller than my smooth bantam Cochin. And did I mention she's absolutely adorable!

 

[orchardflock]

My two bantam cochin hens are about 15 weeks old and the smooth one (a blue) is much larger than my red frizzle. I've heard the frizzle gene can cause lots of other health problems, so that may be why. That said, I also have two bantam barred rock hens and two bantam old English game bird hens and there is a large size difference between the two in each pair as well. So I wonder if bantams just tend to vary a lot in size since many of them are fairly new breeds.

 

[jwyles]

My two bantam cochins are about 15 weeks old and the smooth one (a blue) is much larger than my red frizzle. I've heard the frizzle gene can cause lots of other health problems, so that may be why. That said, I also have two bantam barred rock hens and two bantam old English game bird hens and there is a large size difference between two in each pair as well. So I wonder if bantams just tend to vary a lot in size since many of them are fairly new breeds.

Oh no I hope my little girl doesn't have any health issues. You could be right about the size variation. It would make sense because larger chickens are the foundation breed right?

 

[orchardflock]

Yes and yes. The more I've researched into the frizzle gene, the more certain I am that no matter how cute she is, I do not want to breed her or buy a frizzle again. Breeding a frizzle to a frizzle is really bad. It's an incompletely dominant gene that varies greatly in strength so you never know what you are going to get, but it's connected to enlarged internal organs and a shorter life span.

 

[junebuggena]

"Frizzles" are the result of 'project' breeding. That means that each breeder is selecting for a range of different traits. This means that there can be a huge range of size, depending on what has been bred into the lines.

 

[kingchickies]

I got my first pretty blue Easter egger egg today, she's 21 weeks. I think that's the only breed we have in common.. I'm feeding layena multiflock with oyster shell offered at all times free choice.. good luck!

 

[runnermom]

My Easter Egger is 21 weeks today and is not laying yet.

 

[jwyles]

My Easter Egger is 21 weeks today and is not laying yet.

Is she a hatchery EE?

 

[runnermom]

No, I got her from our local feed mill.