For those of you who have ANY of these breeds please try to help me out. Sometimes the hat is less pronounced in some chicks than in others, but one without is new to me. Standard size start to lay anywhere between 7 and 10 months. You will be able to tell easily by their behavior when they start to mature. Do it about every 2 weeks.
Sultans are neat birds, even if they are high-maintenance chickens.
You might not want to let them wander too freely,as they are easy prey because they just can't keep track of their environment and react quickly enough. Christie - Yes, bantams do mature faster. You can probably look for them to lay on the early side of the range, but not necessarily. It is better not to have the pullets lay early. Leghorns usually lay early - sometimes as early as 5 or 6 months.