Any New Zealanders?

[nzange]

Hi from Rotorua.

Four pullets here, just about to hit POL. It's our first time with chooks, it's a lot of fun and great for our kids.

 

[venus]

Hi nzange, welcome to our forum.

My four chickens are about 16 weeks old now, so still waiting for any sign of eggs. I got them at five weeks old and have been learning as I go. This forum certainly helps you to understand chickens a whole lot more and it gives you a whole lot to read when the babies are roosting.

My son loves to spend time with the girls even though he's an X-box addict and hardly comes up for air. He'll let them sit on his shoulder when he goes into their run, but hasn't offered to clean them out yet!!

It'll be interesting to see how soon we'll get any eggs and if they go off lay over the winter since they're only just about to start.

What got you interested in chickens in the first place?

 

[nzange]

I have been thinking about chooks for a long time, it just took a while longer to convince the husband that it was a good idea! I have a friend with chooks and when she got some fertilised eggs for her broody hens to hatch, the timing just worked out. My boys are great with them and have lots of fun. I'm enjoying watching the chooks and seeing how they interact and sort out their pecking order.

I'm curious about the eggs over winter too. Some people have said that being young they may continue to lay, albeit less frequently, over winter this year if they start before winter. I guess a lot of it's going to come down to what mixed breeds I've got, and how much light we have.

 

[nzange]

I think my chooks are about the same age of yours, so when I said "just about to hit POL" I was being very optimistic.

 

[venus]

Well I got my first egg today. Sixteen and a half weeks old! So I guess POL was early for one of my girls! I'm eager to check for any eggs tomorrow.

I noticed the combs and wattles on three of mine have really turned red and grown over the last week, but one still has small pink ones. I figure this is them maturing but haven't read about this anywhere.

 

[nzange]

Wow, that's awesome! I can't wait until we start getting eggs! I think all bar one of ours are sleeping on the roost now, rather than in the nesting boxes, and a couple of them have their combs getting larger and more red.

 

[Anne Rennie]

Hi there,
i just started a new thread and then saw this one, Im from Avondale, Auckland and new to the Back Yard Chicken hobby and loving it. I started with 6 x 1 day old Brown Shavers in December which are hopefully going to start laying in another 6 weeks or so.

 

[Farming Frenzy]

I'm in kerikeri! any northland silkie breeders out there?

 

[Hannah11]

Sorry not a silkie northerner here but i just looked at your silkie pictures and OMG they look great i think i will have to find some here in southland.... so awesome!!!! ps. what is the name/color of the grey ones i see white all the time but would rather grey or caramel
Welcome!

 

[Farming Frenzy]

hello, the profile pic of silkies is not actualy mine. Its from google. The caramel ones are partridge ( brown ) or buff for gold. Blue/black and splash are varieties of grey!