Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Deej211]

The guys I got them from was told when he got them as chicks that they were pure bred. So is it possible they are still pure bred but with an extra toe?

im not 100% sure. I was told mine were. When i queried the extra toe she said it pops up from time to time. Could be pure but not to standard.

 

[Deej211]

Good morning folks … uggg; Monday   

Hey V1cky your new girls are gorgeous.

Lol satay, I love how you just snuck into the conversation “and as I do, I acquired a new rooster as well” 

Looking forward to the pics … oooh, Pekins, the world needs more Pekins!

I have my first official broody for this season and of course, it is Cilla!  She had a play at being broody a week or so ago but a coolish evening on the roost appeared to have changed her mind … *sigh* not so much now; she is full on broody!

She is a sweet broody in that she does lets me pick her up and does not puff up or peck etc but she turns into a right bully with her flock mates … everyone else is currently giving her a wide berth and I reckon the looks on their faces tells it all … “oh gees, here we go again … hang onto your feathers and run for cover! GodCilla lives!” 

On Saturday I thought she was going broody and locked her out of the nest boxes; she was not happy and eventually, I have no idea how, managed to break into a nest box and when I found her, she was sitting in there with the barricade on top of her!  She was not hurt and had actually laid an egg.

So, of course, I felt like the worse chicken mumma, locking her out because I thought she was broody and all she wanted to do was lay an egg … BUT Sunday morning, as soon as I opened up the nest boxes, she jumped in.   I gave her the benefit of the doubt as I did not want to be mean again and she may have wanted to lay an egg but come 3pm yesterday, no egg so I closed off the nest boxes and she spent the night on the roost.

For a change, this morning I was actually not woken by cawing Crows but by appealing chickens .. Cilla was taking out her frustration on anyone she could catch and as soon as I opened up the nest boxes, she jumped in …. She has until 4pm today to come up with an egg or show any other signs of anything but broodiness or broody jail it is!

As you know, I am not planning on any hatches this season and even if I was, it is not going to be someone whose last hatch is only 6 months old … Not happening Cilla!  Go try those pleading “I wanna be a mumma again” eyes on someone else 

ha ha. I guess the eys won you over in the end lol.

 

[Teila]

Oooh, so in a week or so Fancy, we will have some BLRW pictures also!

I have to confess to being a little bit concerned about LuLu, Pekin Frizzle. She is not showing any signs of illness, poops are good, comb colour is good, appetite and general demeanour also good BUT she has not returned to laying since her moult in March and laid her last egg on 26th March.

Anyone else have a young hen, she will be 2 in December, go off the lay for this long? The others took a break around the same time as her due to moulting etc but they returned to laying around the June/July period.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oooh, so in a week or so Fancy, we will have some BLRW pictures also! 

I have to confess to being a little bit concerned about LuLu, Pekin Frizzle.  She is not showing any signs of illness, poops are good, comb colour is good, appetite and general demeanour also good BUT she has not returned to laying since her moult in March and laid her last egg on 26[SUP]th[/SUP] March.

Anyone else have a young hen, she will be 2 in December, go off the lay for this long?  The others took a break around the same time as her due to moulting etc but they returned to laying around the June/July period.

I'll do my best.
If all else is fine , I wouldn't be too concerned . Some hens can take anywhere from 4-6 months to complete a molt. Whilst I'm sure that you will not love her less, it means that she probably falls under the heading of ' poor layer ' . But you probably knew that already .

http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

 

[V1cky]

im not 100% sure. I was told mine were. When i queried the extra toe she said it pops up from time to time. Could be pure but not to standard.

Ok thank you. I just didn't know you could get pure breds with an extra toe but I guess everything can throw back in their genes from time to time. It's not a big concern if they're not pure bred or to standard I just wanted some similar hens for my roo, he looked all lonely being the only chook with a hairdo so I can't wait to see what he thinks when I introduce him to them

 

[Teila]

Thank you for the link Fancy, interesting reading.

LuLu was probably my best layer up until March and yep, she did not experience a hard moult, just dropped a few feathers here and there over an extended period of time.

Yep, I would not love her any less if she never laid another egg as long as all is well .. she is not giving me any cause for real concern at the moment just a little that something may have been amiss.

I will see how she goes … she will probably lay an egg now that I have enquired

 

[satay]

2 quails, 9 marans and 4 pekins off to the brooder so far.

 

[satay]

Thank you for the link Fancy, interesting reading.

LuLu was probably my best layer up until March and yep, she did not experience a hard moult, just dropped a few feathers here and there over an extended period of time. 

Yep, I would not love her any less if she never laid another egg as long as all is well  .. she is not giving me any cause for real concern at the moment just a little that something may have been amiss.

I will see how she goes … she will probably lay an egg now that I have enquired 

Odd you say that. The friend I got the new rooster from asked me to look at her Pekins. She has 3 stunning blue Pekins that are just under 18 months old. 2 hens and a roo from show quality lines She bought them 6 months ago and they haven't laid a single egg,.They look as healthy as not moulting or anything like that so I wasn't sure why. She thought maybe they were a bit fat.

 

[Teila]

Aaaaw, satay beautiful bubbies!

Hhhhm, LuLu is fairly solid and probably the heaviest in the flock but I do not think she eats more than any of the others and is definitely not the most greedy but she could be described at plumpish.

I would definitely not rule that out as an option for a reason.

 

[V1cky]

2 quails, 9 marans and 4 pekins off to the brooder so far.

Congrats

I didn't realize how tiny quails are compared to chickens, they're adorable