Calling all Penedesencas Owners/Breeders

[Hangtown Farms]

Tractor Supply with Penedesencas. Now there's a shocker. How much were they?

Guy they where only like 2.99 haha

 

[karenerwin]

@ChickenCanoe

Here are a couple of pictures of the Black Penedesenca eggs going into lockdown.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

VERY pretty. Thanks for posting.

Looks like I sent you some nice birds.

 

[1kluckychik]

@ChickenCanoe Here are a couple of pictures of the Black Penedesenca eggs going into lockdown.

Beautiful color

 

[karenerwin]

VERY pretty. Thanks for posting.

Looks like I sent you some nice birds.

Yep! Now I just need to get these eggs to hatch, they will be my first generation from the hen you traded & the chicks from the eggs you sold me. I had 2 roosters & 2 hens. 1 of the roosters was recently killed by the coons. So, I'm down to 2 hens & 1 rooster. Hatch little pullets, hatch!

Beautiful color

Thanks! Hopefully I have a decent hatch.

 

[dtimoth]

Wow, those eggs look awesome! I hope you have a great hatch. Below is our second pene egg (compared to a New Hampshire egg) from the November hatching. My daughter ate the first one--a double yolker. Thanks again to Guy for the nice hatching eggs. Every day I go out there anxiously hoping for another one from my first-generation girls.

 

[dtimoth]

I ended up with five roosters and six hens from my November hatch. Two hens had some white and brown in them, so I separated them from the breeders and put them in with my general laying flock. I have four breeding hens that are very nice looking and I think quite true to Black Pene characteristics. I also ended up with two very nice breeding roosters. However, I have a situation. The two hens with a bit of brown in them started to lay (see the egg I posted yesterday) a few days ago. They are in with my New Hampshire layers. They're doing fine and laying in the elevated nest boxes. Yesterday was the first day of laying for the four breeding hens. Unfortunately, I noticed that two eggs had been laid, on the ground, and had been eaten. They have some really nice nest boxes elevated about 2.5 ft off the ground. Other breeds I've had in that coop before haven't had any problems laying in the nests. These young girls haven't discovered the nest boxes yet, and I thought it would just be natural for them, but apparently it's not. I can tell they've never been in the nests, because they fresh straw is all still very dusty from five months ago.

As a remedy, I removed the roosters to reduce stress and removed a roosting ladder I had in there. I put a milk crate under the nest boxes, so they can stand on it and look in. I also put in a couple of wood eggs to show them where their eggs should go. Now the only elevated part of the coop for them to roost on is the nest boxes. If they do that, then maybe they'll see inside the nests and think 'oh, that looks like a nice cozy spot to lay my eggs'. After dark last night I put three New Hampshires in with them, hoping that they'd show the penes where to lay, but this morning they were so picked on and wouldn't come down from the nest boxes, I moved them back to their own coop. So, here's to hoping the four breeding hens will begin laying in the nest boxes and stop eating their eggs.

 

[ronott1]

I ended up with five roosters and six hens from my November hatch. Two hens had some white and brown in them, so I separated them from the breeders and put them in with my general laying flock. I have four breeding hens that are very nice looking and I think quite true to Black Pene characteristics. I also ended up with two very nice breeding roosters. However, I have a situation. The two hens with a bit of brown in them started to lay (see the egg I posted yesterday) a few days ago. They are in with my New Hampshire layers. They're doing fine and laying in the elevated nest boxes. Yesterday was the first day of laying for the four breeding hens. Unfortunately, I noticed that two eggs had been laid, on the ground, and had been eaten. They have some really nice nest boxes elevated about 2.5 ft off the ground. Other breeds I've had in that coop before haven't had any problems laying in the nests. These young girls haven't discovered the nest boxes yet, and I thought it would just be natural for them, but apparently it's not. I can tell they've never been in the nests, because they fresh straw is all still very dusty from five months ago.

As a remedy, I removed the roosters to reduce stress and removed a roosting ladder I had in there. I put a milk crate under the nest boxes, so they can stand on it and look in. I also put in a couple of wood eggs to show them where their eggs should go. Now the only elevated part of the coop for them to roost on is the nest boxes. If they do that, then maybe they'll see inside the nests and think 'oh, that looks like a nice cozy spot to lay my eggs'. After dark last night I put three New Hampshires in with them, hoping that they'd show the penes where to lay, but this morning they were so picked on and wouldn't come down from the nest boxes, I moved them back to their own coop. So, here's to hoping the four breeding hens will begin laying in the nest boxes and stop eating their eggs.

I have had them go through egg eating phases--It ends usually in a month or so. Try upping their nutrition. A good way to do this is to add calf manna to their feed. The bag has instructions for how much to add.

Also, make sure that they have free choice calcium and even though there is likely plenty of sand, some good granite grit too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Wow, those eggs look awesome! I hope you have a great hatch. Below is our second pene egg (compared to a New Hampshire egg) from the November hatching. My daughter ate the first one--a double yolker. Thanks again to Guy for the nice hatching eggs. Every day I go out there anxiously hoping for another one from my first-generation girls.

My January pullets have yet to begin laying.

I ended up with five roosters and six hens from my November hatch. Two hens had some white and brown in them, so I separated them from the breeders and put them in with my general laying flock. I have four breeding hens that are very nice looking and I think quite true to Black Pene characteristics. I also ended up with two very nice breeding roosters. However, I have a situation. The two hens with a bit of brown in them started to lay (see the egg I posted yesterday) a few days ago. They are in with my New Hampshire layers. They're doing fine and laying in the elevated nest boxes. Yesterday was the first day of laying for the four breeding hens. Unfortunately, I noticed that two eggs had been laid, on the ground, and had been eaten. They have some really nice nest boxes elevated about 2.5 ft off the ground. Other breeds I've had in that coop before haven't had any problems laying in the nests. These young girls haven't discovered the nest boxes yet, and I thought it would just be natural for them, but apparently it's not. I can tell they've never been in the nests, because they fresh straw is all still very dusty from five months ago.

As a remedy, I removed the roosters to reduce stress and removed a roosting ladder I had in there. I put a milk crate under the nest boxes, so they can stand on it and look in. I also put in a couple of wood eggs to show them where their eggs should go. Now the only elevated part of the coop for them to roost on is the nest boxes. If they do that, then maybe they'll see inside the nests and think 'oh, that looks like a nice cozy spot to lay my eggs'. After dark last night I put three New Hampshires in with them, hoping that they'd show the penes where to lay, but this morning they were so picked on and wouldn't come down from the nest boxes, I moved them back to their own coop. So, here's to hoping the four breeding hens will begin laying in the nest boxes and stop eating their eggs.

I like nests much lower, about 12-18" above the floor. I also have a perch in front of elevated nests. Make sure the nest is dark too.

I occasionally get floor eggs.

How is the egg color from the pullets with white and/or brown feathers?

 

[dtimoth]

Thanks for the suggestions, Ron and Guy. I'll keep doing what it takes. Guy, the dark egg I posted above with the New Hampshire egg is one of the penes with brown or white feathering. Those two girls have spent the last two months with the New Hampshires of the same age, learning how to lay in the nest boxes. I hope the four breeding girls get the hang of the nest boxes soon and do stop eating their eggs. Okay it's only been one day, but there were two eggs eaten...somehow they just didn't know how to treat them I guess. It's new for them too.

I'll get some calf manna and give them more grit and calcium.