Young pullets question

[TRALALARA1]

I’m curious about something. What has been your experience with young pullets when they are first squatting and allowing themselves to be bred? How long until they lay? I’ve seen one of my 16 weeks old pullets allowing my barred rock rooster breed her. He is sticking to her like glue! He is my one year old rooster who is at the bottom of the older flock. I have seven little cockerels but I’ve not seen one successfully breed any of the pullets or adult hens.
Anyway, my main concern is when to be watching for eggs from the pullets? My adult hens are all pretty good about using the nest boxes but I don’t think any of the pullets have ever checked them out. They free range during the day and stay in a different pen at night.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Mine never squatted until this last year. Usually it seems like a few weeks between the squats start and egg laying starts though

 

[I Love Feather Babies]

I’m curious about something. What has been your experience with young pullets when they are first squatting and allowing themselves to be bred? How long until they lay? I’ve seen one of my 16 weeks old pullets allowing my barred rock rooster breed her. He is sticking to her like glue! He is my one year old rooster who is at the bottom of the older flock. I have seven little cockerels but I’ve not seen one successfully breed any of the pullets or adult hens.
Anyway, my main concern is when to be watching for eggs from the pullets? My adult hens are all pretty good about using the nest boxes but I don’t think any of the pullets have ever checked them out. They free range during the day and stay in a different pen at night.

Depends on the breed. Some will start to lay around 16 weeks others 22-24 and some longer than that.

 

[Battlepants]

For eggs, I would check out the combs of the pullets. The redness seems to be connected to their sexual maturity. If you are good with a more direct approach, you could try a butt check: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

As for getting them to lay in the right area, I like to use the golfball method - 1 golf ball added to each of the nestboxes so they get the idea that this is where eggs go.

I do have a bit of a concern with the roo-hen ratio from the numbers you put out there. You will want 1 roo per around 8 hens. With your current 1 roo and 7 cockerels, this calls for 64 hens. You may want to downsize your roo collection to avoid overbreeding.

 

[Mrs. K]

As a general rule of thumb, 4 weeks after they have really redden upped, and about 1-2 weeks after they squat.

However, this is just a general rule of thumb, heavily influenced by breed and the chicken Gods.

Just about when you have totally given up hope of ever getting a new egg, and you have mention chicken and dumplings to them several times.

That is a lot of roosters, I sure hope you have a bachelor pad.
Mrs K

 

[TRALALARA1]

For eggs, I would check out the combs of the pullets. The redness seems to be connected to their sexual maturity. If you are good with a more direct approach, you could try a butt check: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

As for getting them to lay in the right area, I like to use the golfball method - 1 golf ball added to each of the nestboxes so they get the idea that this is where eggs go.

I do have a bit of a concern with the roo-hen ratio from the numbers you put out there. You will want 1 roo per around 8 hens. With your current 1 roo and 7 cockerels, this calls for 64 hens. You may want to downsize your roo collection to avoid overbreeding.

the little cockerels will be culled soon. Just trying to get them big enough to have a decent meal.

 

[TRALALARA1]

I’ve got six 1 year old hens with two 1 year old roosters in the original flock. That’s one too many roosters. I hatched 18 chicks from them in March and have 15 survivors. Eight pullets and seven cockerels. I don’t think I’ll keep any of the cockerels and will probably sell a few pullets. I sure don’t need more than two roosters. I’d like to have 10-12 hens.

 

[TRALALARA1]

I’ve got six 1 year old hens with two 1 year old roosters in the original flock. That’s one too many roosters. I hatched 18 chicks from them in March and have 15 survivors. Eight pullets and seven cockerels. I don’t think I’ll keep any of the cockerels and will probably sell a few pullets. I sure don’t need more than two roosters. I’d like to have 10-12 hens.

Ok. I recounted my young chickens and realize that I have 9 pullets and 6 cockerels. Yay! Anybody need a pullet? Oh, and one layed an egg yesterday! About 17 weeks old. Maybe 18.

 

[TRALALARA1]

 

[luckycluk]

Where are you located?