April 2010 Pullets- wanna wait with me?

[lb2duncan]

@ elizabethlongwood Daisy is beautiful!!! Love her feathers!!

 

[Sphinx]

I'm beginning to wonder if my chickens are simply going to take the winter off and not even start laying til spring. It's been a bit chilly here at night, and my formerly faithful adult hen abruptly stopped laying eggs about a week ago.

 

[operator16]

What an exciting thread!!! My 6 EEs were born on April 30th. So, I guess I can start counting down with you. I have some questions though... I thought I'd read a lot about chickens but I hadn't heard about them being red in the face and wattles meaning anything in particular. What is this you say about squatting? Can anyone expound on these for me? What exactly am I to look for? Are we talking squatting like they do when they potty? Do they do that and no poop comes out? What does it mean?

Thank you for the information!

Here is one of my gals, Saki.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
I doubt it--if they are first year layers they won't be able to hold back. Just give them time--they'll surprise you.

 

[Sphinx]

Quote:
I doubt it--if they are first year layers they won't be able to hold back. Just give them time--they'll surprise you.

But but but but I'm soooooo tired of being patient!!!

(read that in a whiny, foot stomping two year old voice)

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
I know the feeling--I'm up to 3 /10 April hatched birds laying. Making DW very happy--to a point, now she's complaining about the size.

 

[oldchickenlady]

The 'egg squat' is something they will do when you approach and reach down to them or lay your hand on their back...they will sqaut a little and sorta semi spread their wings out a bit. They do the same thing when a rooster mounts them. It means they are maturing and getting ready. I don't know if all hens will do it, but some will. As for the combs and wattle thing. When the hen is starting to mature her comb and wattles will get much bigger (not like a rooster, but bigger) and they will turn a much brighter red. The skin on their faces that aren't covered in feathers will also become much redder. They don't all mature at the same time. I have 5 RIR's and 6 Buff O's and my buffs are no where near ready to lay. They have just in the last couple of weeks started growing bigger combs and wattles, and they are not nearly as big as the RIR's and they are all the same age. One of my RIR's is laying (may be another as of yesterday-I got 2 eggs in one day!) so I am not waiting any more NAH NAH NAh! Nah! Nah!

 

[oldchickenlady]

OK, sorry...I got my 'big girl' voice back now!

 

[operator16]

Thank you for this information! I appreciate it.


Quote:

 

[HHandbasket]

Here it is! First egg, no shell! There were actually 2, and one had a paper-thin, rubbery sorta-kinda shell next to it that obviously broke when it landed. They are from the same bird. She is the one showing any signs of egglaying behavior whatsoever, and she's about 4 to 5 weeks older than other birds of her breed are when they start (leghorn), so I'm thinkin' she's gonna lay a lot. She laid 2 this morning and is out there now acting like she's fixin' to drop another one.

Anyway, here it is: