What do you have in your flock?

[Jackquline]

I have seven girls at the moment. My older two are Barred Rocks ( Chica & Adaline - 19 weeks 1 day) and my other five are

assorted at 11 weeks 4 days old. One is a Barred Rock ( Buttercup) two Road Island Red ( Amelia & Abigail) and two Buff

Orphingtons ( Blossom & Bubbles)!!! It has been a wonderful experience watching them grow and witnessing their silly acts
in our backyard.

 

[Pretty Chickens]

Hi, I have 3 buff orpingtons, a rhode island red end a rhode island rooster. I all so have ameraucanas , 2 hens and one rooster. I really wanto to see the blue eggs.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh I don't think I ever came back and updated on this thread! I did update my.signature though but I'll post here too.

I finally got chickens 3 weeks ago today.

We have 1 Barred Rock, 2 Black Australorps, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Easter Eggers

 

[RanchDreams]

We have one each of:

Barred Plymouth Rock
Rhode Island Red
Buff Orpington
Black Australorp
Easter Egger
Silver Laced Wyandotte

But chickens are addicting so we will also be getting:

Blue laced Red Wyandotte
Black Jersey Giant
Double Laced Barnevelder
and a Speckled Sussex

 

[Barred Rock Boy]

I have 27 barred rock laying hens, 2 roosters that are barred rocks, and 7 Americans laying hens.

 

[Sylvester017]

Hi, I have 3 buff orpingtons, a rhode island red end a rhode island rooster. I all so have ameraucanas , 2 hens and one rooster. I really wanto to see the blue eggs.

Oh I don't think I ever came back and updated on this thread! I did update my.signature though but I'll post here too.

I finally got chickens 3 weeks ago today.

We have 1 Barred Rock, 2 Black Australorps, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Easter Eggers

We have one each of:

Barred Plymouth Rock
Rhode Island Red
Buff Orpington
Black Australorp
Easter Egger
Silver Laced Wyandotte

But chickens are addicting so we will also be getting:

Blue laced Red Wyandotte
Black Jersey Giant
Double Laced Barnevelder
and a Speckled Sussex

I have 27 barred rock laying hens, 2 roosters that are barred rocks, and 7 Americans laying hens.

I HOPE Y'ALL GET A GOOD PRODUCTION FROM YOUR BLUE-EGG GENE AMERAUCANAS AND EASTER EGGERS. AMERAUCANAS, ARAUCANAS, EEs, AND CREAM LEGBARS ARE IFFY LAYERS. THEY LAY WELL FOR ABOUT 4-5 MONTHS IN THEIR PULLET STAGE AND IN THEIR 2ND YEAR THEY KINDA DROP OFF OR DON'T LAY AT ALL - IT'S ABOUT 50/50 WITH THEM. A FARMERS MARKET SELLER WON'T GET ANY MORE EEs BECAUSE SHE HAS TO SEND THEM TO THE FREEZER THEIR 2ND YEAR FOR NON-PRODUCTION. LET ME KNOW HOW YOUR GIRLS DO IN THEIR 2ND OR 3RD YEAR. OUR BLUE WHEATEN AMERAUCANA LAYED ONLY 3 EGGS HER 2ND YEAR. HOPE YOU DO BETTER THAN MY FRIEND AND ME ON YOUR BLUE EGG LAYERS AFTER THEIR FIRST YEAR.

 

[ShrekDawg]

[COLOR=0000CD]I HOPE Y'ALL GET A GOOD PRODUCTION FROM YOUR BLUE-EGG GENE AMERAUCANAS AND EASTER EGGERS.  AMERAUCANAS, ARAUCANAS, EEs, AND CREAM LEGBARS ARE IFFY LAYERS.  THEY LAY WELL FOR ABOUT 4-5 MONTHS IN THEIR PULLET STAGE AND IN THEIR 2ND YEAR THEY KINDA DROP OFF OR DON'T LAY AT ALL - IT'S ABOUT 50/50 WITH THEM.  A FARMERS MARKET SELLER WON'T GET ANY MORE EEs BECAUSE SHE HAS TO SEND THEM TO THE FREEZER THEIR 2ND YEAR FOR NON-PRODUCTION.  LET ME KNOW HOW YOUR GIRLS DO IN THEIR 2ND OR 3RD YEAR.  OUR BLUE WHEATEN AMERAUCANA LAYED ONLY 3 EGGS HER 2ND YEAR.  HOPE YOU DO BETTER THAN MY FRIEND AND ME ON YOUR BLUE EGG LAYERS AFTER THEIR FIRST YEAR. [/COLOR]

Wow, I'm so sorry you had such bad luck! Hopefully mine do better!if they're not roos lol

 

[Sylvester017]

Wow, I'm so sorry you had such bad luck! Hopefully mine do better!if they're not roos lol

Well, not every bird will be a bad layer. It's just that I like giving a heads-up for people who find their Amer's or EE's wind up in the poor layer category. Even at their best Ameraucanas only lay about half the year or less. They certainly don't have the White Leghorn reputation for production but the blue eggs (or green) are nice for the little while you get them.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well, not every bird will be a bad layer.  It's just that I like giving a heads-up for people who find their Amer's or EE's wind up in the poor layer category.  Even at their best Ameraucanas only lay about half the year or less.  They certainly don't have the White Leghorn reputation for production but the blue eggs (or green) are nice for the little while you get them.

That makes sense and I think it's nice of you but oh wow, I hadn't realized it was so slow. Though I thought a lot of birds dropped off after a few years or not really? But yeah, I'm hoping they lay nice eggs

 

[Sylvester017]

That makes sense and I think it's nice of you

but oh wow, I hadn't realized it was so slow. Though I thought a lot of birds dropped off after a few years or not really? But yeah, I'm hoping they lay nice eggs

I don't consider blue-gene egg Amer's, EE's, Araucanas, or Cream Legbars as egg-layers. To me these are "novelty" breeds and not exactly considered production birds but they lay pretty eggs for the short time they do. True production breeds like Australorp, White or Brown Leghorn, Barred Rock, RIR, NHR, etc are usually the non-broody heritage breeds and CAN lay upwards of 300 in their pullet year (although mine never did that much except for one White Leghorn). Thereafter it is expected that production breeds will lay 20% less eggs each year thereafter. Example, 1st year 300 eggs, 2nd year 240 eggs, 3rd year 192 eggs, etc etc. Sexlinks lay so much their pullet year that they are exhausted after their 2nd year - that's why so many are discarded as battery hens by the poultry industry.

If you start out with an Amer or EE that lays only 5 or 6 months their pullet year that gives you an idea of how much lower their 2nd year of laying will be. Our friend had an EE that didn't lay at all her 2nd year. The Farmers Market seller won't invest in any more EEs because most of the birds are in the freezer by their 2nd year. For the amount of $$$ it cost me to get a pure Ameraucana for guaranteed blue eggs it wasn't worth the investment. The only reason we keep her in the flock is because she is a sweet non-combative flockmate and who knows? Maybe she'll give us 3 eggs next year like she did this year?