How old are my hens?

MaryLou · « **on:** August 29, 2009, 09:09 »

Has anyone got any advice on how you tell how old a hen is? I bought four POL hens nearly three weeks ago, and they still are not laying. They are bright and healthy and all a good size, though their combs are still fairly small. Last time I bought POLs they started laying within two weeks.

Thank you for any help.

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #1 on:** August 29, 2009, 10:26 »

How old did the supplier tell you they were ?

If you can post a picture of them there are many experienced people here who can give you there opinions.

oddpaws · « **Reply #2 on:** August 29, 2009, 11:02 »

We got our POL pullets at about 12 weeks and it was another 4 or 5 weeks before they started laying. The 1st egg we had was scared out of our girl by the dog! Not that i would recommend that

MaryLou · « **Reply #3 on:** August 29, 2009, 12:16 »

I will take a picture. I have got some somewhere but my husband has filed them in some obscure place and and I can't find them. So not only hopeless on the computer, but I was so excited about getting more hens that I forgot to ask the supplier how old they were. I suppose they will lay eventually, but they are so laid back (sorry) I think they may be too relaxed to be productive. And that's after very carefully choosing very lively and alert birds at the farm. I have just been working on the veg patch so I let them out of their run to have a scratch about, and they all went back in after about half an hour and now they're all asleep!

Roughlee Handled · « **Reply #4 on:** August 29, 2009, 14:52 »

How long have you had the chickens?
Are there combs big and red or small and pink?

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2009, 19:23 »

12 weeks is a bit young to be called POL oddpaws! I usually say 16 weeks is POL, and depending on the breed, they can start to lay anywhere between 17 and 30+ weeks!!!

So be patient, they will lay when they are ready!

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2009, 20:45 »

They sound quite young if they are wanting a sleep during the day.

oddpaws · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2009, 12:57 »

Ooops Sorry grannie annie, I was quoting what we were told when we bought them

. I love this site...learning all the time

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2009, 13:04 »

Quote from: oddpaws on August 30, 2009, 12:57

Ooops Sorry grannie annie, I was quoting what we were told when we bought them . I love this site...learning all the time

no need for apology oddpaws! Everyone has differing ideas, it's just that some people have stranger ideas than others!!!

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How old are my hens?

MaryLou

How old are my hens?

Aunt Sally

Re: How old are my hens?

oddpaws

Re: How old are my hens?

MaryLou

Re: How old are my hens?

Roughlee Handled

Re: How old are my hens?

GrannieAnnie

Re: How old are my hens?

Aunt Sally

Re: How old are my hens?

oddpaws

Re: How old are my hens?

GrannieAnnie

Re: How old are my hens?

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