When will these two lay?

[AnnieSantiago]

So my three sex link hens have been laying now for weeks.
I got all 5 hens at the same time and they were SUPPOSEDLY the same age.
By my accounting, all should be 23 weeks old now.

The Barred Rock and the Blue-Laced Wyandotte (cross?) have not yet laid.

Here are photos of their heads. They are both as large as the red and golden sex links.
In fact, the Barred Rock's body is larger than the others.

When in the HECK will these two lay???

 

[rjohns39]

Short answer is you need a wyandotte and barred rock person to really answer the question... When they are ready. Between 18 and 24 weeks is the norm. Some start early, some start late. Its breed and chicken dependent.

 

[AnnieSantiago]

Short answer is you need a wyandotte and barred rock person to really answer the question... When they are ready. Between 18 and 24 weeks is the norm. Some start early, some start late. Its breed and chicken dependent.

Exactly. Which is why I posted photos in hopes that someone who has Wyandottes and Barred Rocks can give me an idea by looking at them.

 

[rjohns39]

Sorry I wasn't helpful... My birds seem to have a calendar all to their own...

 

[barred2rock]

Their combs and wattles really aren't all that developed. Here's what one of my BRs looked like as she started to lay. At 24 weeks two of my five still haven't laid, but have large comb and wattles.

The one on the right hadn't started laying at this point.

 

[junebuggena]

Judging by the comb development, about 3 to 4 more weeks. Keep them on a high protein feed. They need it to develop.

 

[AnnieSantiago]

Their combs and wattles really aren't all that developed. Here's what one of my BRs looked like as she started to lay. At 24 weeks two of my five still haven't laid, but have large a comb and wattles.

View attachment 1117478
The one on the right hadn't started laying at this point.

Maybe I need to make chicken and dumplings.

 

[AnnieSantiago]

Judging by the comb development, about 3 to 4 more weeks. Keep them on a high protein feed. They need it to develop.

They're on organic layer pellets.
Is there something simple I can add?
I'm on fixed income - can't afford spendy feeds.

 

[Gray Farms]

Sexlinks have been hybridized to lay earlier and more often than the other breeds. This is why they started laying before the Rock and Wyandotte. They should start in a few weeks I'd say.

 

[junebuggena]

They're on organic layer pellets.
Is there something simple I can add?
I'm on fixed income - can't afford spendy feeds.

Unmedicated starter. Layer feed is for actively laying birds only. And starting it too soon can actually slow down development significantly. It doesn't have enough protein for them to finish their juvenile molts and develop their egg production systems.