Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[San]

It's been months since I have seen a Barnie egg from my girls and there is no excuse right now...they are all of laying age and none of them are molting.

edited to say....I take that back...it hasn't been months since I have seen a Barnie egg...I got a random egg from one of the girls on Christmas day and nothing since and nothing for a couple months prior to that....I would love to know what gives with these girls!

Well I know it's common to go on winter stop at least most chicken owners have this problem that they'll stop laying around the October and start around January again, however both my flocks don't give me my breakfast

. I only like the eggs from my flock not those watery and disgusting ones from the store , they tasted like water..

I've tried talking and whispering to them, I've tried with store eggs. heck if I could lay an egg I would

show it to them but no no no nothing yet..

 

[mountainvieworchards]

Lights! Exercise! and Food!

To get the birds to lay in winter whether pullets or post-molt hens I do this:

I put a low watt light bulb in the coop( I use a fluorescent 60 w because I had one) and a cheap household electric timer set to go on at about half hour before they normally go to roost and that stays on until around 8:30 PM (target 14 hours light). This is a tried and true method of getting winter eggs. Give it about two weeks or so to photo sensitize the layers and the egg box will start to fill up. Remember if you put the lights on them they will want to be scratching for feed in the coop until around the time of lights out. This is a good way to see which ones are your better producers, since these they tend to be the last to roost. Some of your better birds may be off the roost when lights go off the first week, so I usually go out after the lights go off and put these on the roost. Soon they get used to it and go to roost before lights out.

Other things that seem to help stimulate winter laying includes giving them lots of exercise since this stimulates laying. To keep them active in winter, I let them on pasture and I add scratch into deep litter twice a day and rake it in a little so they have to work for it. They love this. I don't use dropping boards in my coops and when I feed them this way I never have manure piles under the roosts. This ties into litter/manure management. I start in the fall with about 5 inches of litter, leaves, straw, wood shavings what ever I have and add more each week. They love the morning when I add more litter. I usually add it about a bushel or two a week. (My winter layer coop is 10 x 16 for scale). I leave it in there to accumulate and for them to play in and scratch in. If it gets too moist looking, its time to add more. My floor is wood with asphalt painted on it and then a thin layer of gypsum dusted onto that.

My hens have a good sized day range pasture of short grass to roam over, and big areas of hardwood leaf piles to scratch in and find worms even in winter. I pile up all my leaves in the fall over the spot where I will plant potatoes in spring. The birds are just naturally attracted to the leaf piles when the rest of the ground is wet or frozen. They add some manure to the soil before I plant the potato patch. We have green grass for pasture all winter here and that helps them keep in shape. Other things I do to help jump start winter laying is a warm wet mash in the AM until they start up. I don't bother making them warm breakfast after that but it is just encouragement to get started.

I live in Western Oregon and we get rain and snow, and lots of dark days though rarely temps below 25 F. My Barnevelders lay well all winter under this regimen of extra light, exercise and feeding.

So if you haven't tried some of these give it a whirl, it should help.

If some of your birds don't respond to this treatment, you know which ones to select and which not to select for better winter production, which was historically a part of the breed and something I like to see in my layers.

Andy

 

[chickchicks]

im having to get rid of Mr Wooster myBarnevelder,

what is the best way ive tried emailing a few farms forforever homes but no vacencies.

he is a wonderfulbird and im stuck ,
he is about 24 weeks ivelost count now, he decided to attack his "mother" and inturn has upset the balance of the group i understand this happens and eventually things settle buy mymum seems reallyupset by it and his noise making which i and the neighbours love!!!

any ideas would be great thank you

 

[Happy Chooks]

im having to get rid of Mr Wooster myBarnevelder,

what is the best way ive tried emailing a few farms forforever homes but no vacencies.

he is a wonderfulbird and im stuck ,
he is about 24 weeks ivelost count now, he decided to attack his "mother" and inturn has upset the balance of the group i understand this happens and eventually things settle buy mymum seems reallyupset by it and his noise making which i and the neighbours love!!!

any ideas would be great thank you

It's most likely temporary as he's trying to climb the ranks to be leader. This is difficult for a young rooster with older hens that will beat the crap out of him. Eventually, he'll get in top spot - but it's a slow process.

 

[tls_ranch]

x2 and He's most likely just trying to figure out how to mate and make the hens submit. If the crowing doesn't bother you or your neighbors...give him some time to figure things out. Unless there's really bad wounds try and let them work things out.

Trisha

 

[caj1985]

I live in Arkansas near Fort Smith/Fayetteville area. I am looking for Barnevelder chicks for the spring. Any breeders nearby?

I want to add them to my existing flock of 4 EE, 1 BR, 1 lt Brahma, 1 SLW, 1 NJ Giant.

Thanks.

 

[enggass]

 

[sixshooter60]

Quote:Originally Posted by mountainvieworchards

Lights! Exercise! and Food!

To get the birds to lay in winter whether pullets or post-molt hens I do this:

I put a low watt light bulb in the coop( I use a fluorescent 60 w because I had one) and a cheap household electric timer set to go on at about half hour before they normally go to roost and that stays on until around 8:30 PM (target 14 hours light). This is a tried and true method of getting winter eggs. Give it about two weeks or so to photo sensitize the layers and the egg box will start to fill up. Remember if you put the lights on them they will want to be scratching for feed in the coop until around the time of lights out. This is a good way to see which ones are your better producers, since these they tend to be the last to roost. Some of your better birds may be off the roost when lights go off the first week, so I usually go out after the lights go off and put these on the roost. Soon they get used to it and go to roost before lights out.


Andy

I have found that if you set the lights to come on about 3 hours before daylight it lets them go to roost as they nomally would and dont leave them on the ground when the lights go out ;; i just find this easier than having to go put them on the roost after the lights go out..

 

[mountainvieworchards]

I can't do the morning lights since the roosters would start crowing at 3 AM and my neighbors have enough rooster noise now. Putting birds up on the roost is something I have only had to do the first few nights with a few stragglers. After that there is no extra work. I only mentioned it because someone trying light for the first time would want to check that. I also like being able to spend time with the birds in the coop after I get home from work in the evening and its easier for my son to do his chicken chores in the evening. But you are right morning light works as well as evening.

Andy

 

[chickchicks]

thanks for the comments i thought that was what happening.
wlima is/was thetop hen and was mum to the rooster. she wont let himnear and used to bully him .

she has no hair on her head and blood was everywhere and the waddles/combs were bleading badly, i found her behind the shed shaking , i know she not happy as ive been trying to get her back in the group but the second she goes into the garden he attacks - ive not been there as i work during theday its my mum who lets her out and she said the second she steps into the garden the rooster runns and " attacks" wilma she said the first thing the rooster does is run head down and the leap into the air with his feet to her head and then pins her down rippin out more of her feathers near her head and her wings.
everytime this happens wilma poos just pure warter until she can hide backin door inher hospital bed !

i do love he little guy i think he is great and i understand the fighing im jsut stuckin a hard place with my mum as she is really upset and is not understanding this at all