Australorps breed Thread

[DesertChic]

Okay...I feel like a total dork. I thought I posted those pics on a different threat.

More on topic...I caught another of my Aussie girls laying an egg today. She's my prettiest girl with the most incredible sheen to hear feathers, but a pale face, comb and wattles. I never suspected her as one of my layers, but there she was...singing at the top of her voice as she left me a pretty, light tan egg weighing 1.55 ounces. (Yes, I weigh the eggs. I really am quite the nerd.) Sadly another of my Aussie layers may have turned into an egg eater. Lulu, the first of my Aussie girls to lay, seems to be sneaking into the boxes once the eggs are laid, knocking them to the floor of the coop and pecking at them. I'm increasing their protein intake in the hopes of breaking the cravings, but I could use some suggestions of what else to try if this fails to help.

 

[jbkirk]

Okay...I feel like a total dork. I thought I posted those pics on a different threat.

More on topic...I caught another of my Aussie girls laying an egg today. She's my prettiest girl with the most incredible sheen to hear feathers, but a pale face, comb and wattles. I never suspected her as one of my layers, but there she was...singing at the top of her voice as she left me a pretty, light tan egg weighing 1.55 ounces. (Yes, I weigh the eggs. I really am quite the nerd.) Sadly another of my Aussie layers may have turned into an egg eater. Lulu, the first of my Aussie girls to lay, seems to be sneaking into the boxes once the eggs are laid, knocking them to the floor of the coop and pecking at them. I'm increasing their protein intake in the hopes of breaking the cravings, but I could use some suggestions of what else to try if this fails to help.

Don't feel bad it happens to everyone. And you did post it on the other thread.

You could use wooden eggs in the egg boxes and collect constantly... She'd never be able to break those.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Only one of my Bielefelders hatched this time. The poor guy was so lonely I just had to get him some friends. I couldn't find any really young chicks close to his size, but so far he seems to be getting along well with the larger three week-old White Rocks I purchased from the feed store. They don't peck at him and they have no problem letting him snuggle in with them.



WOw he is tiny ! Congrats !

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: We like chicks Too ..
I hate that when they eat their own eggs ...
Or Ceramic eggs work good too ...black sunflower seeds can add protein .
Are you around to collect the eggs quickly ?

 

[mpgo4th]

Okay...I feel like a total dork. I thought I posted those pics on a different threat. 

More on topic...I caught another of my Aussie girls laying an egg today. She's my prettiest girl with the most incredible sheen to hear feathers, but a pale face, comb and wattles. I never suspected her as one of my layers, but there she was...singing at the top of her voice as she left me a pretty, light tan egg weighing 1.55 ounces. (Yes, I weigh the eggs. I really am quite the nerd.) Sadly another of my Aussie layers may have turned into an egg eater. Lulu, the first of my Aussie girls to lay, seems to be sneaking into the boxes once the eggs are laid, knocking them to the floor of the coop and pecking at them. I'm increasing their protein intake in the hopes of breaking the cravings, but I could use some suggestions of what else to try if this fails to help. 

Yes, I weigh the eggs. I really am quite the nerd.)

Haha, don't hide it. Embrace it. I'm so nerdy I write the date and price paid on all of my feed tags. Then I take a picture of them so I don't have to actually keep the paper tag. I upload them to my google drive account. Why??? Who knows but it makes me happy. NERDS

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

I just posted BBS eggs on BST if anybody is interested.
Kurt

 

[DesertChic]

We like chicks Too ..
I hate that when they eat their own eggs ...
Or Ceramic eggs work good too ...black sunflower seeds can add protein .
Are you around to collect the eggs quickly ?

Yes, I work from home most days and check for eggs every few hours. Since it's still such a novelty for me and my first flock has just started laying I'm a bit OCD about checking for eggs and probably check at least half a dozen times per day. I've had wooden eggs in the nesting boxes for a couple months now. It just seems to be that one Aussie, Lulu, who's suddenly behaving very differently. She was always very shy compared to the others but now she's behaving a bit like a velociraptor. Yesterday she jumped atop my back while I was bending down, and this morning she leaped into the air and bit my finger, and I wasn't even carrying treats or wearing buttons, jewelry or nail polish. And every time I enter or exit the run she tries to escape now. I know she gets mated a lot by my rooster. Do you think she's just unhappy in this location/flock?

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
it may be she is just protein deprived ...I have heard of hens get aggressive towards each other..feather pecking , etc.

I would check her occasionally to make sure she is getting enough .
I had one hen who when I merged her with the flock she stopped laying ..
So I started checking her crop ..they free range ..and her crop was full .
I think because she was new to the flock she wasnt eating enough layer ..being chased away . So I made sure she ate some from me .
She adjusted to her place ...she started laying again .

It really just sounds like treat behavior to me ...
some of my chickens will fly up on the treat bowl if they think they arent getting the treat fast enough .
I would say she thought you had a treat ...but when she bit you she realized you didnt ..did you scawk ? you may have scared her .

I have had chickens also jump up on me ..for protection .( roos trying to avoid a Roo Rush )
or on my back to get to food quicker than everyone else

Here is a Free Online Chicken teaching Program
It covers all kinds of behavior . Free or 49.99 with a certificate
https://www.coursera.org/course/chickens

 

[ronott1]

it may be she is just protein deprived ...I have heard of hens get aggressive towards each other..feather pecking , etc.

I would check her occasionally to make sure she is getting enough .
I had one hen who when I merged her with the flock she stopped laying ..
So I started checking her crop ..they free range ..and her crop was full .
I think because she was new to the flock she wasnt eating enough layer ..being chased away . So I made sure she ate some from me .
She adjusted to her place ...she started laying again .

It really just sounds like treat behavior to me ...
some of my chickens will fly up on the treat bowl if they think they arent getting the treat fast enough .
I would say she thought you had a treat ...but when she bit you she realized you didnt ..did you scawk ? you may have scared her .

I have had chickens also jump up on me ..for protection .( roos trying to avoid a Roo Rush )
or on my back to get to food quicker than everyone else

Here is a Free Online Chicken teaching Program
It covers all kinds of behavior . Free or 49.99 with a certificate
https://www.coursera.org/course/chickens

It is not just the protein level but Methionine. The new purina layeena has double the methionine that it used to have. Check to make sure the feed has enough of it. Here is more information, notice what it says about feathers:

Quote:

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: High levels of methionine can be found in eggs, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, fish, meats and some other plant seeds; methionine is also found in cereal grains. Most fruits and vegetables contain very little of it. Most legumes are also low in methionine. However, it is the combination of methionine + cystine which is considered for completeness of a protein.[citation needed] Racemic methionine is sometimes added as an ingredient to pet foods.[15]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methionine