Rhode Island Reds -age when they start laying ?

[jlj1212]

Hello, we got 4 RIR today and the guy told us they are just over a year old, he told me it would be about another 2-3 months before we see any eggs, does this sound about right ?
Thanks
Jenny

 

[gratch73a]

Usually egg laying starts around 20 weeks. So IF they are over a year old they should have already be laying.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hello, we got 4 RIR today and the guy told us they are just over a year old, he told me it would be about another 2-3 months before we see any eggs, does this sound about right ?
Thanks
Jenny

Nope. Doesn't sound right at all. Sure he didn't say they are just over a month old? Production Reds often lay around 20 weeks of age. True bred, deep mahogany Rhode Island Reds of quality don't lay until closer to 28 weeks of age or more.

 

[jlj1212]

Ok thanks ! I will have to check for eggs in the morning then or they are younger than he said!

 

[jlj1212]

Hmmm ok then, either A he was mistaken on how old they are or B I misheard him guess I will have to check in the morning ! Do you all think it could take a few days for them to start laying eggs just because they are in a new enviornment ?

 

[Kelsie2290]

Sounds like the girls are actually younger than you were thinking or he meant something else. If they are over a year and a half or so old, they might be molting also, and in that case they might not start laying for a couple of months.
If they quit laying because they were moved, they will usually lay an egg or two that was in the "works" the first days and then quit for a while, it can be a couple of weeks or a month or more.

 

[rrgrassi]

IIRC, they also need to do a partial or full molt as well. My RIR's are the deep mahogany, and take longer than 20 weeks (5months) to lay. They will do a partial molt, then lay after their feathers grow back. They are very prolific layers!

 

[jlj1212]

How can we tell if they are going through molting ? ( besides the feathers missing ) like if they have just gone through it or are about to.

 

[jlj1212]

When you say They are very prolific layers! about your RIR, do you get good eggs out of them in the winter and all year long ? we live in MI so they will be kept in coop mostly during winter months, we are trying to figure out a way to have a light source in there for winter months.

 

[jlj1212]

Ok guys! got our first egg this morning!!!!!!! hooray! so exciting, it's not a brown color tho, it's more of a cream color, is this normal ? everything I have read on them said brown eggs.. just wanna be sure it's an ok egg Thanks so much