Cream Legbars

[Red Banks]

My girls are growing up! At least some of them. I have 3 that have been laying for about a week or so.

Beautiful! How old are they?

 

[JulesChicks]

Beautiful!  How old are they?

Ditto! I have one that's over a year and she has started up again in the last week or so, but the 2 that hatched mid July last year have yet to lay. Actually, strangely one of them laid the day I picked her up in early October and then a few more times over a week or so and then stopped. She was too young to lay at the time but I thought she would be laying by now.

 

[JulesChicks]

That is a good question and hard for me to answer.  I have three CLs that have become sexually active at the exact same time.  Most of the time I have roosters a few weeks or a month apart. These three are very aggressive with the hens, never with me.  They are jumping everything in sight.  I have never had a Marans be aggressive towards me and my main guy right now is an Ameraucana that is just great with the flock.  He and I are good.  He doesn't challenge me.  I rehomed a beautiful Splash Marans because he and the Am were fighting all day.  But that Splash was a wonderful rooster and knew I was top dog.  I read on BYC how to treat a rooster and I have tried to do those things.  I don't know if that has anything to do with it but I have been very lucky.

LP Marans website has a very interesting technique that she uses if a rooster has turned bad, she says it works for her and you might find it interesting.

I like my Marans and Ameraucanas very much.  The CLs are curious but not as talkative. It will soon be time for them to start laying, maybe a week or two.  I see a change in the pullets. Yesterday one kept following me and talking.  I got the feeling she is experiencing those maturity changes and was asking me about them.  Silly I know but I do think they look to us for assurance.  You know they can't talk to the men about those kind of things!    

Thank you! I think I have read that before but need to revisit before I start raising up cockerels.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I have some sad news. My crazy character, Paula, died yesterday. I opened her up, and she was full of tumors classic for either Mareks (more likely) or Avian Leukosis virus (also a possibility). I'm sending tissue for testing. Of my recent hatch, I got 5 girls and 1 boy from her. ALL is retransmitted via the egg, and Mareks is not, so I sort of need to know...

RIP sweet crazy big mouth Paula:






- Ant Farm

 

[JulesChicks]

@Fire Ant Farm I'm so sorry. I've "heard" you talk about her a lot and know she was special to you. Having had chickens die this past year (my first having chickens!) of diseases - well, technically we culled them - I understand how hard it is and how you need to get some answers.

 

[ChicKat]

@Fire Ant Farm
 I'm so sorry. I've "heard" you talk about her a lot and know she was special to you.  Having had chickens die this past year (my first having chickens!) of diseases - well, technically we culled them - I understand how hard it is and how you need to get some answers.    

X2...so sorry

 

[Red Banks]

X2...so sorry

Me too.

 

[henless]

Beautiful! How old are they?

The ones that are laying will be 6 months old March 1, so they were 5 mos 1 week when they started.

I have some sad news. My crazy character, Paula, died yesterday. I opened her up, and she was full of tumors classic for either Mareks (more likely) or Avian Leukosis virus (also a possibility). I'm sending tissue for testing. Of my recent hatch, I got 5 girls and 1 boy from her. ALL is retransmitted via the egg, and Mareks is not, so I sort of need to know...

RIP sweet crazy big mouth Paula:


- Ant Farm

So sorry you lost Paula. I like this pic of her. Reminds me of a little ole lady in the Red Hat Society. Hope you find out soon! {{hugs}}

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Thanks everyone. She certainly was a character. I am thankful that she had a happy chicken life until right at the end, and only a day or two of feeling bad enough not to do her regular dirt-scratching, bug-eating chicken stuff.

(Looked for an emoticon, but none really fit right now...)

- Ant Farm

 

[sol2go]

My girls are growing up! At least some of them. I have 3 that have been laying for about a week or so.

Very nice.