yes on the white ear lobes, as for leg color I noticed some are green and some are blue colored. I got 2 different batches, 1 in Feb and 1 in May, both stared laying at 23 weeks. The eggs are small to medium size, and I have been seeing some varying shades of off white/cream colored.
I purchased some from Ideal, currently awaiting them to lay (22 wks old at the moment). So far I like them, so much so that I ordered a straight run batch in May of this year and the males were super fast maturing. Already looking like roosters at 8 weeks old and trying to mate with the broody...
How long after my hens have been with my red rooster will they no longer be fertile with his sperm? They are now with my black rooster and I would like to hatch their eggs with the black rooster being the dad, so how long do I wait for my Red roosters sperm to no longer be in their system??
Some broodies end up pooping everywhere which is not very desirable when trying to hatch out eggs as it can cause bacteria in the eggs and they won't hatch. If you are not planning on hatching out chicks it is best to break her of being broody, they will not stop on their own unless they have...
I would check for lice and mites and make sure they aren't laying their eggs elsewhere. How do their combs look? Have you had any predator attacks recently? as stress can also cause a drop in production.
I live in WA and do not do anything special for my flock, but I also keep cold hardy breeds. Their coop just needs proper ventilation and free from drafts. Keep an eye on their waterers so they don't freeze.
Do you give them crushed oyster shells? Also put fake eggs or even golf balls in the nesting boxes to deter egg eaters. It sounds like someone isn't laying a hard shell and it's breaking upon being laid. I wouldn't suspect and egg eater as you wouldn't find any sign of egg remnants.
how old exactly are the rhode island reds and can you post a pic of the delaware you are concerned about (full body with comb, legs, feet and tail all in the picture)
She sounds like she is broody again. You may want to try a wire bottom crate (dog kennel or rabbit cage) put her in there with food and water but no bedding. This will help lower her body temp back to normal and knock her out of being broody. As for the ones pecking her she is most likely the...
molting should not be an issue right now as they aren't old enough to go through the annual molt (16-18 months of age). Some breeds take longer to mature and the days are getting shorter which also comes into play. Be watchful of bright red combs and the submissive squat when you place your hand...
once the oldest finishes her molt she will start laying again. Molting can last usually around 10 weeks but can take longer. As for the 20 weekers they may take another month or so, with the days getting colder and shorter it may just take longer. Keep an eye out for bright red combs and...
Here's a good article to read and should help you determine what lighting is best. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chickens-winter-egg-laying-and-lighting and this other article explains whether or not you should heat your coop and if you do what you need to do...
Some breeds take longer than others and then factor in that the days are getting shorter and colder which will also make it take longer for the hens to start laying. I have some that hatched out at the end of March and they still aren't laying.
A few things to look at, are their combs bright...
the males combs will turn red before a hens, hens combs won't turn bright red until they are close to laying age (5 months - 8 months of age depending on breed). males have narrow pointed hackle feathers (neck feathers) and saddle feathers (the feathers toward the back of the bird by his tail)...
hard to tell for sure from the pics, but if their combs are already turning pink, then that is a sure sign of a boy, as a girls will not start to turn until she is closer to laying age.