Got these girls (EE, SLW) seven months ago at 1 week old. Encouraged someone else to get a SLW and EE also, so they did.
We went our seperate ways and our girls got a hold of a lot of laying pellets when they were young, I tried my best to keep them on chick feed but they still ate a lot of laying pellets. Then we moved (they were around 12 wks old) and weren't able to reconstruct a proper pen for them, for these two girls still had to eat chick feed, so I'm sorry to say they were eating laying pellets full time at 12 wks old.
My flock also went through a predator attack, fortunatley they escaped with their lives and some skin missing on my LB pullet. (One of my hens later died of severe stress)
When my little girls (EE, SLW) were 15 wks old I said "Enough is enough!" And got them in a different pen with chick feed till 17 or 18 wks old, can't rightly remember.
Since then they've been on laying pellets. No eggs, 7 months old.
I've waited patiently for 7 months for eggs, I have only one hen laying and the stupid roo is beating her up.
But that's not all, remember the friend we encouraged to get a SLW and EE, too? Well, her dog got the SLW. I'm wondering if it was a hawk, because the dog probably would have tore it apart, when she found it it's head was gone and it's belly was up with entrails hanging out and wings spread to full wingspan.
Anyways, she asked me to take the EE, she would try chickens again in spring.
I took the EE, which had been on chick feed her whole life, but she's not laying either?! We've had a lot of chickens, and they were always laying by September. Now it's nearly November and no eggs! Mother isn't happy, I'm not happy. I'm searching CL for some hens, I know hens don't really lay in the winter but my BO pullet is the only one laying and her poor back is suffering at the merciless talons of my rooster.
I'm inclined to think that it's the strange weather this year and last winter. I think egg cycles are off, but my question is 'Did we ruin the SLW and EE by feeding them excessive laying pellets when they were under age?'
Help!
We went our seperate ways and our girls got a hold of a lot of laying pellets when they were young, I tried my best to keep them on chick feed but they still ate a lot of laying pellets. Then we moved (they were around 12 wks old) and weren't able to reconstruct a proper pen for them, for these two girls still had to eat chick feed, so I'm sorry to say they were eating laying pellets full time at 12 wks old.
My flock also went through a predator attack, fortunatley they escaped with their lives and some skin missing on my LB pullet. (One of my hens later died of severe stress)
When my little girls (EE, SLW) were 15 wks old I said "Enough is enough!" And got them in a different pen with chick feed till 17 or 18 wks old, can't rightly remember.
Since then they've been on laying pellets. No eggs, 7 months old.
I've waited patiently for 7 months for eggs, I have only one hen laying and the stupid roo is beating her up.
But that's not all, remember the friend we encouraged to get a SLW and EE, too? Well, her dog got the SLW. I'm wondering if it was a hawk, because the dog probably would have tore it apart, when she found it it's head was gone and it's belly was up with entrails hanging out and wings spread to full wingspan.
Anyways, she asked me to take the EE, she would try chickens again in spring.
I took the EE, which had been on chick feed her whole life, but she's not laying either?! We've had a lot of chickens, and they were always laying by September. Now it's nearly November and no eggs! Mother isn't happy, I'm not happy. I'm searching CL for some hens, I know hens don't really lay in the winter but my BO pullet is the only one laying and her poor back is suffering at the merciless talons of my rooster.
I'm inclined to think that it's the strange weather this year and last winter. I think egg cycles are off, but my question is 'Did we ruin the SLW and EE by feeding them excessive laying pellets when they were under age?'
Help!
