Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Fancychooklady]

Does that mean they don't moult when they are young? When do they start moulting then?
I have been offered some HylIne eggs to hatch. Has anyone got these chooks? I know they are similar to ISA's, but she said they are not a mean as ISA's so they should be ok to have with my other girls.Does anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks

Genetically engineered birds are less inclined to moult their primary feathers and so a soft moult might almost go unnoticed . Hybrid birds are designed to lay ' hard and fast ' but unfortunately that means their laying ' career ' is short lived. Most will lay everyday without interruption for 2 years and then slow down dramatically. My last Isa brown died at 8 years of age and while she still laid the occasional egg there was a long time between eggs for a free feed.
Moulting is a natural event and also essential for the overall health and well being of the bird. Feathers are made up of protein and in order for the bird to grow new feathers it requires egg production to cease so that the bodies stores of protein are available .
There are several contributing factors that may bring on a moult, illness, parasites, protein deficiency and stress are just a few.

 

[Teila]

Good morning Folks

MyHaven congrats on the raffle win and great news that the flock is looking and behaving well .. love the pics!

Aussie1chook I am so sorry to read of your dilemma and the choice you have to make

Fizzybelle how are you breaking Agnes? Oooh, I do hope Beatrice lays her first egg soon.

SilkieChickStar that was interesting reading about the wobbly chicken due to moult; I have had them lose their tails completely but no signs of a wobble.

LuckysMum Crystal started her moult on the 4th of April when she was only just over 12 months old. I guess she figured she might as well join the rest of the flock

No news of note except that apparently it was too cold to leave the coop at 06:15AM this morning .. even for breakfast

 

[sjturner79]

Does that mean they don't moult when they are young? When do they start moulting then?
I have been offered some HylIne eggs to hatch. Has anyone got these chooks? I know they are similar to ISA's, but she said they are not a mean as ISA's so they should be ok to have with my other girls.Does anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks

Chooks should have thier first molt in the autumn/winter following thier first birthday, however some don't start until after thier second.
Hyline are a higher production version of the isa. The tend to ignore other birds, lay an egg every 23 hours, don't usually molt and live only about 4 years.

 

[LuckysMum]

Thanks Fancy I didn't know about the feathers. Makes sense though.

sjturner does that go for backyard hylines too?

My ISA"s have never laid everyday. We used to get 9-10 eggs from 12 chooks.
Now we get 4 eggs from 7 chooks they are about between 2-3 years old. The egg producers leave the light on up to 23 hours a day, so they lay constantly but mine only get sunshine and at the moment they are probably only getting 12 hours of light. I wondered if that's why they seem to lay longer and liver longer in backyards. Not to mention the better conditions.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thanks Fancy I didn't know about the feathers. Makes sense though.

sjturner does that go for backyard hylines too?

My ISA"s have never laid everyday. We used to get 9-10 eggs from 12 chooks.
Now we get 4 eggs from 7 chooks they are about between 2-3 years old. The egg producers leave the light on up to 23 hours a day, so they lay constantly but mine only get sunshine and at the moment they are probably only getting 12 hours of light. I wondered if that's why they seem to lay longer and liver longer in backyards. Not to mention the better conditions.

Your welcome.
The hyline, Isa brown and most hybrid breeds aren't expected to be capable of high production past 80 weeks. So for argument sake, your average Isa brown might lay 600 eggs in her lifetime, on the other hand a good heritage breed might start later and only lay an average of 180 eggs a year, but over a period of 4-6 years.
http://www.hyline.com/aspx/products/productinformation.aspx

 

[Fizzybelle]

Good morning Folks

MyHaven congrats on the raffle win and great news that the flock is looking and behaving well .. love the pics!

Aussie1chook I am so sorry to read of your dilemma and the choice you have to make

Fizzybelle how are you breaking Agnes? Oooh, I do hope Beatrice lays her first egg soon.

SilkieChickStar that was interesting reading about the wobbly chicken due to moult; I have had them lose their tails completely but no signs of a wobble.

LuckysMum Crystal started her moult on the 4th of April when she was only just over 12 months old. I guess she figured she might as well join the rest of the flock

No news of note except that apparently it was too cold to leave the coop at 06:15AM this morning .. even for breakfast

I lock her out of the coop during the day and she sleeps in a milk crate upstairs at night to keep her safe and comfortable. I actually just remembered that I had the crate on wooden blocks last time to allow more airflow underneath her, that might've been the problem this time, not enough airflow underneath. It's only her (and mine) second bout with broodiness, and I want to find what works specifically for her. I let her indulge in a little bit of nest sitting the past day, but I might try again tonight. At the moment she's locked out and playing with her friends in the dirt.

I got up a little earlier at 6:00 and none of my girls got up, though the lure of breakfast did inspire them to move. I might set the alarm for ten or a quater past again, it wasn't quite light enough for everyone. I can't blame them for wanting a little sleep in during the cooler months. Besides, until the suns been up for a while, the ground is cold on their little chicky feet

 

[IamSamSam]

Hey Teila ! I lost your post 5-6 pages ago but Thanks ! I'm glad one is laying. ! . Hubby keeps making quirky comments about egg layers been lucky they were to scrawny for a roasting pan !

 

[IamSamSam]

Yesterday afternoon

 

[MyHaven]

I lock her out of the coop during the day and she sleeps in a milk crate upstairs at night to keep her safe and comfortable. I actually just remembered that I had the crate on wooden blocks last time to allow more airflow underneath her, that might've been the problem this time, not enough airflow underneath. It's only her (and mine) second bout with broodiness, and I want to find what works specifically for her. I let her indulge in a little bit of nest sitting the past day, but I might try again tonight. At the moment she's locked out and playing with her friends in the dirt.

I got up a little earlier at 6:00 and none of my girls got up, though the lure of breakfast did inspire them to move. I might set the alarm for ten or a quater past again, it wasn't quite light enough for everyone. I can't blame them for wanting a little sleep in during the cooler months. Besides, until the suns been up for a while, the ground is cold on their little chicky feet

If she can sit down in that milk crate you are just providing her with a different nest. She needs to be somewhere she has to roost. Just what I've found.

 

[MyHaven]

The vet phoned me.

My flock has infectious coryza (bacterial) and infectious bronchitis (virus). For those that don't know, this means they are most likely now carriers and can make others sick. You can't tell by looking at them and they may relapse. I can't morally let any of them leave the property.

I was so hoping they'd be ok.

I have to give them a course of different antibiotics. So I will not prolong my decision to cull those that have to go. I will try to keep as many as possible but I'm only allowed 20 and I have twice that plus. Some of them were sold or given away and I was just holding on to them until it suited for them to go and then the illness hit. Thankfully I hadn't let any go just before they showed signs. All the roos have to go.

I have 9 brahmas that were in the brooder and 3 silkies who were in quarantine before the illness struck who have not come into contact with the other birds but may have been subject to the infection in the air on the wind. Unlikely because of physical barriers but I wouldn't know for sure. I can build a separate run and enclosure with physical barrier to protect them from the airborne pathogen. That's another task.

Does anyone know what effect it has long term on egg quality. I understand production does not return to the same level. But are the eggs ever ok?

Feeding up this morning was terrible - with the thought of who will go and who will stay. I am trying to be stoic. We know when we have chickens we sometimes get losses and have to make tough decisions with roos.