Would my cockerel crowing indicate I might get eggs soon?

[BallardChooks]

My cockerel crowed his first hilarious crows this morning. He is a hatchery-bred BLRW. I got another chick at the same time as him, a pullet. Since he started crowing (reached sexual maturity?), is that an indication that his "sister" might start laying soon? Or do cockerels crow start to crow earlier than pullets start to lay? They were both hatched at the end of March.

I have the nest boxes closed up right now because I wasn't expecting eggs for another few weeks, at least. Should I be opening them up so my BLRW pullet has somewhere sensible to lay? My PRs and EEs still sometimes peep, so I don't think they are anywhere near laying and I don't want them wandering into the nest boxes and dirtying them up.

What to do?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Roosters begin crowing at different stages. Some start at a young age, other's take longer, so it is no indication of when your hen will start laying.

If she is only about 12 weeks old then I wouldn't expect eggs any time soon. When you see good comb/wattle development and lots of red in the comb/face then you will know she is approaching laying age, usually around 20 weeks or so. Some start much later.

 

[BallardChooks]

Ok, this is what I was thinking but I wasn't sure. I just wasn't expecting him to start crowing so soon! My BLRW pullet does have some fairly red wattles and comb and they are more like 14-15 weeks. I was thinking something like 18+ weeks before eggs.