Buff Orpington hens lost their shine

[chickenannie]

My 15 Buff Orpington pullets have just started laying eggs this month. Suddenly their beautiful shiny golden feathers seem much duller and without any shiny gold anymore. The rooster (same age) is still very shiny and brilliant looking (see his pic in my logo at left).

Is there some kind of connection between color, shiny-ness and egg-laying? Is the egg taking away something from the hen that I can replace? Is it a deficiency or something I don't need to worry about?

Thanks for any help!

 

[RepoBob]

I have a pair of buff wyandottes, and they seem to lose their shine every so often. They seem healthy and all. Right now they are very shinny. I have seen a bit of correlation between shinnyness and weather. Colder less shinny, but other than that it just seems like something they go threw.

 

[Ma]

I really don't know the answer to your question, but I can share my experience.

My BO girls have kept their shine, even after they started to lay, and even through this record breaking cold winter. My girls are seven months old, and started laying on Christmas Eve.

The only thing I do "differently" is give them sunflower seeds, in the shell, everyday in their scratch. They not only absolutely love the seeds, but the added protein helps keep their feathers plump and healthy with plenty of shine. Love that shine!

JME

Ma

 

[chickenannie]

Hmmm. That's a good suggestion...

When I tried to give mine sunflower seeds in the shell at one time, they couldn't open the shell and didn't really try that hard. (They certainly gobble down shelled seeds though). I could put some out and see if they go for it again I guess.

 

[Katy]

I give sunflower seeds to mine everyday too as a treat....they eat them shell and all.

 

[chickenannie]

Really? they can digest the shell? Or grind it up in their crop, I mean.

 

[Katy]

I guess so....I never see any sign of the shells in their poo.

 

[ruth]

Mine go goo-goo gah-gah over the black oil sunflower seeds in the shell. They get a big scoop of those and scratch, along with their layer feed every day. They also free range the farm all day long and get shredded cheese and scraps from house daily. So they are well fed, well exercised and are the shiniest, prettiest things you could want to see. I have Buff Orps, Black Sex Links and EEs.

I know if I didn't keep those black oil sunflower seeds locked up they would eat the whole 50 pound bag in one day. And yes, in the shell, they eat shell and all so fast it's funny.

 

[V Chic Chick]

Just to check, what are you feeding them on other than sunflower seeds?

 

[Katy]

Mine are fed Purina Flockraiser and Layena and only get the sunflower seed as a treat.