BIRDS LAY WHEN THEY WANT TO LAY!

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Call me selfish, but I've worked hard to gain the experience and knowledge that I have. Why should anyone spend their time reading, researching, and learning, only to have someone come in as a "newbie" and cheat off of our homework? It would be different if it were brain surgery and information and experience isn't as free flowing, but its not. ALL of the necessary basic information is there..... right at their fingertips, but STILL it easier to ask for someone elses homework, than to do their own. Do they even realize that in the time it takes them to post a basic question, and wait for replies, the probably could have answered their own question with DETAILED information with a simple self initiated search?

I'm not asking them to diagram the digestive system of a chicken and define the scientific terms associated. I'm just asking for them to know what a chicken is.........

Perhaps I just have a distorted view of things....

Call me crotchety, but thats my opinion.....

Personally i would rather answer newbie questions. then i (hopefully.. unless what i've learned from other sites/here is wrong..). lead them in the right direction and help the Chicken "hobby" or just backyard pets grow... on the forum if i've seen other posts like it.. i'll tell them to search, but that doesn't always work as i know i've searched for a SPECIFIC name of the thread etc. and it seemed like it pulled up every post on the forum. and occasionally you cant find what your looking for because of whatever reason. I personally dislike the BYC search engine

,and... They may be like me. Yes... most of my info came off of sites. i searched google for what i needed to know. But i would rather ask a question and get a answer, not because im lazy.. I'd just rather get a live reply and then i get a lot of different opinions/Answers then one persons answer/opinion from a site.

-Daniel

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
I agree with you, however...

If you'll notice, I wasn't saying that I DONT believe in helping newbies, I'm only suggesting that they read a book, or do an internet search for the BASICS.... Take some initiative.

Would you buy a car for yourself without knowing how to drive it? I'm sure you wouldn't. But at least you would know how to go forward, back up, and make turns. Once you know how to do this, the very basics of driving, then you could move on to the high speed race track and ask questions and take lessons from the pro's....

Do you get my point?

 

[chicksinthemachine]

It is hard waiting for that first egg or first pip, I have learned patience is defientiley a virtue when it comes to chickens. In which I didn't not have before, it has helped in many different areas of my life though. Except in traffic!

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

This might sound strange but there are ways to get the chickens laying earlier. Its mostly due to the feed content and lighting schedule

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
I dont care HOW much light you give them and HOW much money you spend on feed, you aren't going to get a 3 month old pullet to lay an egg..... And if you do, then you've just become a millionaire.

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

I'm only talking about 2-3 weeks aka 16 weeks olds. Now if chickens laid at 3 months I think there would be quite a few happy byc members that don't have to wait.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Quote:
Here is absolute, irrefutable, proof that these practices do, indeed, work...if carried out diligently and for a long enough time.

I think it had to be the foil coats, however, that did the trick.

 

[Chicken Boo]

I agree that research needs to be done before one becomes the caretaker of another living thing.

HOWEVER,

I read a few books and dozens of websites before I agreed to take the chickens my friend was offering me and begin my wonderful life with my fine feathered friends. I had them for months and had my first set of chicks before I (my DH) found BYC. I learned soooooo much reading this site, even after all the research I did. So, I am going to stand by the axiom that no question is a dumb question. The only dumb question is the one that is NOT asked.

Just MHO.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Yes, but at least you took the initiative to read the book first.... thats all I am asking.

 

[patandchickens]

I have found that a fairly effective method to get appropriately-old pullets to start laying (worked 2 times out of 2 for me) is to throw up your hands and say AAAARGH!!, or something similar, MY CHICKENS ARE NEVER GOING TO LAY!!! and stomp off to the supermarket. Cringe mightily (I think this is important) as you buy a dozen eggs.

Both times I did this, the birds in question started laying within 48 hrs.

No kidding.

Pat