[salt and pepper]

Hi Everyone hope your all full up on your yummy eggs  

i have 5 Rhode Island red bantams that are now around 20 weeks we've had them since around 14 week old, When will they start laying we are longing for our first taste.  I'm hoping there not boys, are there any signs that i should look for, i might have to post some pictures and let you guess red or black  

Thanks for looking

Pictures now to look at please let me know what you think 

[evie2]

You could wait until they crow or lay but we'd prefer some pictures so we can guess 

[salt and pepper]

now with pictures 

[bantam novice]

What a lovely flock  .  Can't enlighten you about possible cockerels I'm afraid though to me it looks as if they are all girls.

[Casey76]

I'd guess they are still some weeks off laying.

When they are ready to lay their combs will become bright red, and not just the pale pink they are at the moment

[Spana]

I've never had any RIR so cant really judge but i did think looking at the pictures that one or two have cockerel type tail feathers. Will it be a disaster if they are boys ?

As for laying, if they were hybrids i would expect an egg any time but these old traditional breeds take longer to get to pol.  I wouldn't be surprise if they dont lay until after Christmas, say beginning of January.  But they will be worth the wait  :happy:

[AL Hathaway]

I see three boys in the mix we have a bantam RiR here is a photo for you to havea look at. Little red is just one years old

[AL Hathaway]

front face of little red

[salt and pepper]

  OH no !!! 
There soooo beautiful      i will be really sad, i can swap them if they do turn out to be boys but you get used to them, should i post pictures of each chicken to make it easier, Thanks for posting your picture Al, how old was little Red when she started to lay ?  four of my chickens look similar in there tails and combs and then i have one plain jane type   

[AL Hathaway]

she was 33 weeks old and laid her first egg on 21/03/2011

i would it does help to show side of the body and front on of the face and neck as you will be able to see saddle feathers and hackle feathers that way and the comb =)

[salt and pepper]

Spoke to my breeder, who came and had a look, i had 4 beautiful boys in the mix one has the potential of been a good show cock, alas they had to go    kept my girly and my breeder has brought me 2 more RIR ( hoping girls at least i know what i'm looking for now  )
and a Maran, just one more chicken space left to fill   
might have turned out well as i'm venturing into variety now 

When my brood is complete will post pictures to show them off 

[crh75]

Or you might find a big pile of eggs hidden in the garden