Campine Chicken thread?

[sharol]

Yes, they may wait until spring before they start laying. It is one of the problems that many neglected breeds suffer. With no one doing selective breeding for egg production, they quickly lose their prominence as "The Everyday Layer." I am pleased that I am seeing much improvement during the spring and summer, but once molt sets in, they are not performing like I'd like. I was lucky to get an egg or two a week from the first Campine hens I acquired. Now, they are in full production in early February (with lights) and lay four to six eggs a week per hen through July. Molt usually starts mid August and production bottoms out. Some will pick back up in October and lay one or two a week until I start the lights on them again in December. Once they are closer to standard, and I am getting more consistency, I can start hatching more winter eggs to produce more winter layers.

With that said, Soly looks like she may already be close, or possibly is hiding eggs from you. Look at that nice red comb........

Of my 7 pullets (from your eggs), at least 5 are laying regularly and have been for 3 or 4 weeks (they are 26 weeks old this week). It is easy to see which ones are laying by their combs. AT POL, their combs grew and flopped over (like they are supposed to). The eggs are 1.4 - 1.6 oz at this point.

 

[Wisher1000]

Awesome! I would love to see some updated picks...... hint hint.......

 

[brrabey]

Yes, they may wait until spring before they start laying.  It is one of the problems that many neglected breeds suffer.  With no one doing selective breeding for egg production, they quickly lose their prominence as "The Everyday Layer."  I am pleased that I am seeing much improvement during the spring and summer, but once molt sets in, they are not performing like I'd like.  I was lucky to get an egg or two a week from the first Campine hens I acquired.  Now, they are in full production in early February (with lights) and lay four to six eggs a week per hen through July.  Molt usually starts mid August and production bottoms out. Some will pick back up in October and lay one or two a week until I start the lights on them again in December.  Once they are closer to standard, and I am getting more consistency, I can start hatching more winter eggs to produce more winter layers.

With that said, Soly looks like she may already be close, or possibly is hiding eggs from you.  Look at that nice red comb........

I've been suspicious of her hiding eggs too. She's a wild one! She's a big talker though and follows me around so I figured when she lays finally, the whole world will know!
She just started squatting a week ago. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on her!
Even without any eggs ( that I know of) I think she's amazing!

Going to the Oregon poultry swap 10/1 and really hopping to find her a Campine friend! I'm nervous though, she was awful to our EE addition, who we were lucky was very calm and docile and I think if she was that mean to another Campine that there could be a real fight. Not looking forward to that

These are my first batch of chickens and as I love Soly, now that I have an EE... I can see why people think campines are a difficult chicken for the average backyard breeder. But, I'm hooked!

 

[brrabey]

Yes, they may wait until spring before they start laying.  It is one of the problems that many neglected breeds suffer.  With no one doing selective breeding for egg production, they quickly lose their prominence as "The Everyday Layer."  I am pleased that I am seeing much improvement during the spring and summer, but once molt sets in, they are not performing like I'd like.  I was lucky to get an egg or two a week from the first Campine hens I acquired.  Now, they are in full production in early February (with lights) and lay four to six eggs a week per hen through July.  Molt usually starts mid August and production bottoms out. Some will pick back up in October and lay one or two a week until I start the lights on them again in December.  Once they are closer to standard, and I am getting more consistency, I can start hatching more winter eggs to produce more winter layers.

With that said, Soly looks like she may already be close, or possibly is hiding eggs from you.  Look at that nice red comb........is this the same one that crows?

Yes!! Haha! She still crows! Little stinker. And she's very bossy with me. Here she is jumping up to crow in my back while I'm weeding HER bean garden... I was so worried she was a rooster. Ugh... She's crazy

 

[sharol]

I've been suspicious of her hiding eggs too. She's a wild one! She's a big talker though and follows me around so I figured when she lays finally, the whole world will know!
She just started squatting a week ago. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on her!
Even without any eggs ( that I know of) I think she's amazing!

Going to the Oregon poultry swap 10/1 and really hopping to find her a Campine friend! I'm nervous though, she was awful to our EE addition, who we were lucky was very calm and docile and I think if she was that mean to another Campine that there could be a real fight. Not looking forward to that

These are my first batch of chickens and as I love Soly, now that I have an EE... I can see why people think campines are a difficult chicken for the average backyard breeder. But, I'm hooked!

 

[brrabey]

I'm new to it all but super paranoid (because of the horror) stories about new chickens spreading death! Terrifying!
I've got to keep them separated anyway since my Campine is so **** mean.
I'll keep careful. Thank you!

 

[Wisher1000]

If she"s that mean, cook her. You don't want her passing that on to another generation. They are not generally aggressive.

 

[brrabey]

If she"s that mean, cook her. You don't want her passing that on to another generation. They are not generally aggressive.

She's mean to new birds... She acts like a rooster.
I won't be breeding any birds in any way so I'll just keep her and complain a lot.

 

[Wisher1000]

 

[Wisher1000]

Getting closer!