Utah!

[hen-thusiast]

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Congrats!! The first egg is soooo egg-citing!!

Don't drop it like I did.

 

[bootsuu]

Congrats on your first egg!! My four have FINALLY started laying with some modicum of regularity.

 

[hen-thusiast]

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BTW - Have you decided? If not, no worries. Just wanted to let you know my DH isn't opposed to getting a polish rooster.

 

[Stands With A Fiddle]

So, how long does it take a moulting hen to resume laying?

I got the Maestro in September, and she laid for about a week before she moulted her tail feathers. Fine. Her tail has grown back. Then she proceeded to moult around her neck. Fine, that's grown back. Now she is moulting her top knot (she is a Polish hen). Is there an end in sight????

Also, when do they become "regular"? Napoleon, the little Banty, laid one yesterday and one today, it seems. Nice eggs, too. People talk about fart eggs from pullets, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. She also has done it two days in a row, so I'm just wondering how regular I can expect it to be.

 

[Stands With A Fiddle]

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BTW - Have you decided? If not, no worries. Just wanted to let you know my DH isn't opposed to getting a polish rooster.

The neighbors' consensus is to wait until he matures to see if it is tolerable. I'd like him and the Maestro (Polish hen) to mate, if at all possible.

 

[gcst]

Congrats on your first egg. It is so fun when they start laying.

 

[hen-thusiast]

Quote:
BTW - Have you decided? If not, no worries. Just wanted to let you know my DH isn't opposed to getting a polish rooster.

The neighbors' consensus is to wait until he matures to see if it is tolerable. I'd like him and the Maestro (Polish hen) to mate, if at all possible.

Like I said, no worries.

 

[hen-thusiast]

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I still have a lot to learn, but I think the length of the molt depends on the bird. If you boost her protein intake that might speed up the process. We have one that I'm pretty sure will take all winter to molt, but she's a "special" bird. How long has she been molting so far? I'm trying to think, I think the average might be four weeks, but could definitely be off. If you post in one of the other forums here, you'll get better answers.

As for them laying regularly, are you providing artificial light? We don't and our egg production has significantly dropped. We got one fart egg and it was from the "special" chicken and that was it.

 

[Stands With A Fiddle]

I've got an artificial light in there, and I was turning it on in the AM. Now it is light out when I go to work, but maybe brightening it a little in there may help anyway.

The last batch of food I bought had a higher protein content because I told the guy at IFA they were about to start laying. He said that the combo of foods (pellets and scratch) were good for winter and laying. Maybe I'll throw some dry cat food in there as well (once I manage to pick up enough for my cats - LOL!!!)

 

[NorthernAZchickens]

I was wondering if anyone in southern utah was raising any BCM or true araucana or ameraucana chickens. I was hoping to get a few of these in the spring and would rather do it with someone locally.

I am currently raising some Light Sussex (with the coronation gene) chicks right now and I know I will have some extra Roo's if anyone in southern utah is interested. Maybe we could swap eggs in the spring?