Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

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Blue double lace? Male or female? 12 weeks?
 
Hi all. I was wondering...I have four 18 month old laying hens, blue. Two young pullets, black and splash...my four layers are having a huge molt! It looks like a down pillow exploded in the runs and coops. My question...do your hens just QUIT laying while they molt? I have no eggs coming, all of a sudden. All I have is Barnies right now. And it pains me to have to buy eggs, for the first time in years! Is this normal for the Barnies? I've upped their protein when they first started molting...any ideas of what else I can try? Thanks! I love this thread...!
 
Most hens will slow or stop laying during molt. This is why commercial egg farms get rid of their hens at about a year in a half and bring in new pullets. High protein feed and added light on timers in the coop will help to restart the older hens laying again. Otherwise many older hens might not start laying again until spring when the days get longer. First year pullets are usually more dependable to lay through the winter.

Sometimes even early spring hatched pullets will get triggered to molt with the older ladies in fall. This can be triggered by stress or might even be genetic. I try not to keep spring pullets that molt heavy with the older hens again in the fall. But, I like to let the older girls " rest". I haven't lights to my coop in years past. I went from getting dozens of eggs down to maybe 5 eggs in the last few weeks. Feathers are everywhere!

Trisha
 
Hi everyone, I hatched this little chubby cutie a few days ago, I got him from a farm that breeds barnevelders. I've never seen a white one before, is it normal to get white ones? I understand she had blue ones but she wasn't sure what hen laid this egg, do blue barnevelders have white in them like this?



 
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Hi everyone, I hatched this little chubby cutie a few days ago, I got him from a farm that breeds barnevelders. I've never seen a white one before, is it normal to get white ones? I understand she had blue ones but she wasn't sure what hen laid this egg, do blue barnevelders have white in them like this?



Sorry I can't be of any help but he/she is definitely a cute little one!
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I'm also curious as to if this is a White Barnevelder so I'll be checking back!
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Good luck! I hope you find out!
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Hi. White barnevelders are astonishingly rare. Has it got the pattern on its back? Yellow legs? Straight comb? They often don't breed true and mostly have a lot of yellowing in the feather.
 

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