Ancona (chicken): when will she start laying?

[WingItRanch]

Hey there!

I have some pullets of various breeds but same age- 2 days short of 16 weeks old.

My Ancona is the smallest but she also seems to have the reddest comb and wattle and I read the breed tends to lay early but I can't find any info on average point-of-lay. Can anyone with Anconas tell me when yours started to lay? Here's a pic for reference of her behind my Barred Rock.

Thanks again!

 

[nuthatched]

Every bird is an individual, 16 weeks is early for most birds.
Though, I'd say soon 2-3 weeks.

 

[WingItRanch]

Updated pic of my Ancona. Still no eggs but she's a little over 19 weeks now.

 

[Logar]

Updated pic of my Ancona. Still no eggs but she's a little over 19 weeks now.

I swear they enjoy torturing us

 

[SourRoses]

I think as chicken keepers we should replace "weeks" with "months"... it will help us be more patient, lol.
Generally only the laying hybrids and leghorns will lay at 4 months. Breeds that were historically great layers tend to start later than modern layers. They may have better reproductive health / longevity. It's a major upside to waiting for eggs.

Looking at her development and guessing, I'd expect 7 months old as pol. Make sure they have plenty of protein to finish out as quickly as genetically possible.

 

[WingItRanch]

I swear they enjoy torturing us

For sure. I can't remember who said it.. maybe Mrs. K? They said something like "your pullets will lay about 3 weeks after you've come to the conclusion that you are the only person in the world that has pullets that don't lay eggs."

 

[paintedChix]

According to TLC, Ancona hens @ maturity are 4.5#

They start laying around 5 months.

https://livestockconservancy.org/ancona-chicken/

 

[WingItRanch]

I think as chicken keepers we should replace "weeks" with "months"... it will help us be more patient, lol.
Generally only the laying hybrids and leghorns will lay at 4 months. Breeds that were historically great layers tend to start later than modern layers. They may have better reproductive health / longevity. It's a major upside to waiting for eggs.

So true! I used to use months but then I noticed everyone on this forum prefers weeks so switched it up. But yes, I know it's better for them to start later. I'm so impatient. I've been waiting 6 years to have the means to raise chickens so it's driving me crazy that they're making me wait longer!

 

[WingItRanch]

According to TLC, Ancona hens @ maturity are 4.5#

They start laying around 5 months.

https://livestockconservancy.org/ancona-chicken/

Good article! Thank you!

 

[Logar]

think as chicken keepers we should replace "weeks" with "months"... it will help us be more patient, lol.

It makes me super impatient thinking in months. A week seems short to me so even when I say 4 weeks it seems somewhat reasonable but when I say a month it just feels like an eternity. Maybe I am just weird