The Silver Laced Wyandotte Thread

[cortner1195]

I know this is the wrong thread, but I just had to share. On Sunday I let my chickens out for free range time. That evening when we went to close up the coop, we were short one on head count. I turned on a "trouble light" near the coop door hoping to draw the missing Gold Laced Wyandotte home. We have acreage. I walked all over with a flash light calling to her. I thought that if she made it through the night she would be outside the coop in the morning. We were heartbroken at first light when we still couldn't find her. No sign of feathers, etc. That night after work, still nothing. We lost a favorite hen this last spring to a hawk attack. We were sure the GLW had fallen to the same fate.
I got a very excited phone call tonight when my husband got home ahead of me. She was home!!!! After 48 hours away. She isn't talking about her adventures. I am wondering if she wandered off with a flock of wild turkeys that have been hanging around for grain scraps. She ran to my husbands car, and was very excited to see him. She wanted to be held! She is not a touchy feely bird in any way, but she really wanted the love tonight. She is very happy to rejoin the flock. When I got home she came to the door to meet me as well. What a huge relief!!

 

[CashandTracy]

I know this is the wrong thread, but I just had to share. On Sunday I let my chickens out for free range time. That evening when we went to close up the coop, we were short one on head count. I turned on a "trouble light" near the coop door hoping to draw the missing Gold Laced Wyandotte home. We have acreage. I walked all over with a flash light calling to her. I thought that if she made it through the night she would be outside the coop in the morning. We were heartbroken at first light when we still couldn't find her. No sign of feathers, etc. That night after work, still nothing. We lost a favorite hen this last spring to a hawk attack. We were sure the GLW had fallen to the same fate.
I got a very excited phone call tonight when my husband got home ahead of me. She was home!!!! After 48 hours away. She isn't talking about her adventures. I am wondering if she wandered off with a flock of wild turkeys that have been hanging around for grain scraps. She ran to my husbands car, and was very excited to see him. She wanted to be held! She is not a touchy feely bird in any way, but she really wanted the love tonight. She is very happy to rejoin the flock. When I got home she came to the door to meet me as well. What a huge relief!!

So glad she made it home safe and sound!

 

[CashandTracy]

I took the girls out side to the barn for the first time yesterday! It was a whole whopping 6 degrees. They did pretty good, only handled 5 min but then so did I LOL. Hopefully I'll be able to get them out for a few min tomorrow.

 

[Wishapup]

I have a question, if that's all right, for those owning SLWs. I read on a different thread that they were one of the least productive layers. Have any of you found this true?

In comparison to average brown-egg laying breeds...like Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Black Sex-Link.

I am interested in getting Silver-Laced Wyandottes, but it depends if they have low egg production.

 

[dracoe19]

Wyandottes are very good egg layers. The precise production will always be different for each hen though.I have a wyandotte that is turning 6 years that still lays eggs. Not as much as she used to but still pretty darn impressive for her age.

 

[sn0wwhite]

Just my two cents... My SLW started laying about 9 days ago, and she's given me an egg every day since. I'm impressed because
1. It's been really cold here in Minnesota - like between -11 and just about 5 degrees.
2. She was supposed to be a rooster, so that's pretty cool.
3. And so far compared to my BO and EE, she's laying the most consistently although they've all only been laying for less than 2 weeks.

 

[Wishapup]

Wyandottes are very good egg layers. The precise production will always be different for each hen though.I have a wyandotte that is turning 6 years that still lays eggs. Not as much as she used to but still pretty darn impressive for her age.

Just my two cents... My SLW started laying about 9 days ago, and she's given me an egg every day since. I'm impressed because
1. It's been really cold here in Minnesota - like between -11 and just about 5 degrees.
2. She was supposed to be a rooster, so that's pretty cool.
3. And so far compared to my BO and EE, she's laying the most consistently although they've all only been laying for less than 2 weeks.

Thank you, that's very good to know! I will look into getting some SLWs!

Definitely, EEs are not among the high-producing breeds. I have one right now, and will be getting BOs. However, if Silver-Laced Wyandottes are better, that's an advantage

ETA: dracoe19, the only birds I've had that lay at 6 years old are my Silkie bantam crosses, like the one in my avatar, and they are broody at least 80% of the time! It is impressive that your SLW is still laying so well!

 

[jdoane]

My SLW is averaging 5 eggs a week and that is without supplemental light. She is 9 months old. Basically she lays an egg a day for two day and then takes a one day break and then back to work for two days, then another day off. This is down from 6 eggs a week before we turn the clocks back.

 

[jdoane]

My daughter and I were looking at a book of chicken breeds and all of a sudden realized our SLW's tail does not look like the pictures in the books. She holds it much more erect than the pictures I saw. Got us wondering. Is she actually a SLW? I know her lacing isn't great either. Just figured that was likely because she was a hatchery chick (we got her from someone when she was 6 months old)

Any thoughts?

 

[acemario]

Hey all! Quick question! So I just put some eggs in the bator for the NYD hatch. The roo is a SLW and the hen is a EE. Just curious, is there any way the chicks will be sex linked?