20-week old Ameraucauna pullets...when should they begin laying?

[Heidi]

Congrats on the egg. Your roo is beautiful and your girls are as well. They do love watermelon - don't they.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!:

Welcome to BYC! Those first little pullet eggs are so cute. All my chickens are 25wks old. I guess I have 8 or 9 laying right now. Still waiting on about5 or 6 to start. I have 3 diff breed: 6 RIR, 5 Araucana/Ameraucana, 4 SLW pullet and 1 SLW - surprise roo. I'm having so much fun with them.

 

[eggzettera]

Quote:
Thanks for the info Rosyposyosy - being patient was never my strong suit.

Congrat's on the egg Wynette!

May you soon be blessed with TOO many eggs. With only 2 pullets this is not in my near future, but I am glad to hear that it is in yours.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks for all your congrats! Sure seems like folks in this forum are friendly!!
I've only got 6 layers, and it's just me and hubby. But I do have 3 huge dogs that I like to give eggs to once in awhile. I was originally going to get only 2 or 3, but thought they might have more fun with each other if there were more of them!
Oh, have any of you ever seen this? I though it was really odd: yesterday, my roo pecked at one of the pullets & pulled out about 6 feathers. All of a sudden, they all gathered 'round the clump of feathers on the ground and ATE them! All 7 of my chickens! I know they don't do this anytime anyone loses a feather, because there are feathers strewn around the pen & coop all the time. Any thoughts on this behavior? Something I should be worried about?

 

[eggzettera]

Generally if they are eating feathers its because they are craving protein. What is their primary diet source?
Fish meal, kelp, dog or cat food, leftover meat, sunflower seeds & of course bugs are all good sources.

 

[Rebeccahorse]

my brother has one of the ameraucauna chickens, she is 25 weeks and just started to lay on Monday.

 

[LynnGrigg]

RE: my roo pecked at one of the pullets & pulled out about 6 feathers. All of a sudden, they all gathered 'round the clump of feathers on the ground and ATE them! All 7 of my chickens!

I do know that when a roo has hens, he "announces" treats to the ladies when he finds treats. I think he was craving some immediate attention and got away with the feather offering. - although they may well need some protien, I think there is probably plenty in starter/layer feeds. The ladies just jumped in and ate the feathers because they are so used to him offering and didn't think twice about not accepting. My senior roo occasioally thinks chicken poo is interesting enough to coax the gals over for a bite. lol! They always come running.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks, LynnGrigg & MeanQueennadine for the protein heads-up. Mine are on Purina Layena now (free choice) and have lots of grass and I think enough (?) bugs. But, I've read fish mean & sea kelp are really good for them. I've been looking for an online source for both that's reasonably priced; thus far, what I've found has been quite pricey.

Also looking for organic feed...hopefully, I'll find some before the snow flies!

I can understand, too, that the pullets may have just been taking my roo's lead, as they do tend to follow him around and act really interested in anything HE'S interested in. Thanks, folks!!

Oh, got my first green egg yesterday, and another tan one today! I've had one per day since they started - how lucky am I?

 

[speckledhen]

My Ameraucana pullet Charlotte began laying at 21 weeks exactly. My other one, Silver, has not started yet and they're now 23 weeks old. Sweet Charlotte started out laying every other day, but this week has laid a sweet little tinted egg every day.