When will our girls start laying some eggs???

[77horses]

we check the nest boxes and around the fairly small coop area for eggs almost every day, but can't find any!

ALSO, THEY ARE RED IN THE FACE, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY WILL START LAYING SOON, RIGHT???

I heard that when they have red faces when they are older, that means they are gonna start laying. True?

 

[77horses]

Here's a better shot of Cinnamon(sorry about all the shots of her LOL she's my favorite hen and i love taking pics of her!

) ) Notice the small comb:

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

ummm.... I want cinnamon. She is way to adorable!

 

[77horses]

Quote:
LOL

Back! back! She's mine! LOL

Yes, she is adorable!

I like her best out of the other 3(Don't tell them i said that!

)

But looks like a hen, right?

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I believe so. I would wait a few more weeks to be sure she is though. Once I thought I had all girls.... I was wrong

7 boys and 5 girls to be exact.

 

[77horses]

ya, but she's 16-17 months old NOW. (those pics were taken back when she was younger) She has stopped growing, too a little. I saw a thread where someone explained some ways to tell the dif. between hen/rooster. where has it gone???

I know that one characteristic of a hen is it's shorter, and when they are like a week old, they will have a smaller comb and it will be yellow, usually. The rooster's will turn red faster and get bigger, faster. And roosters have longer, slim legs and their tails go up and then curve down, making like an arch. Our hen's tails are pointy and their butts are soo fluffy!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

She might be a stubborn layer who tinks she can get free food. Males will mature faster and there combs would have turned red at the age of 5+ weeks. Females will have a pinker comb and small wattles.

 

[77horses]

Quote:
What are "wattles?" are those the little pink things that hang from her chin?

(in pic#2 they are slightly visible but now as much as they are today)

And also, I don't know if this is the problem, but, unknowingly, we fed our chicks laying mash.

Yes, it was wrong, but we didn't know that it was! Anyway, they didn't really like it, so my dad, after about a week or so, crushed up some cracked corn, making it more like powder, and gave them that. They LOVED it!

But I'm wondering if by starting them with laying mash, will it affect them now?
Now they are being fed cracked corn, bugs(when outside in the run) and laying mash mixed with the corn. any ideas?

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

I'm mixed up, if they arent laying then who laid the egg you tried to hatch?

 

[77horses]

Quote:
LOL OK let me explain!

We have two RIR roosters, 4 pullets, and 2 ADULT HENS.

The 2 adult red star hens that we got when they were already laying are with the roosters, and one of them (Abby) laid the egg that i tried to hatch. The 4 pullets are in a separate coop.

The pullets didn't lay the egg, the adult hen that we have did!

OK?