Cream Legbars

[bekahubbell]

I am starting to really dislike my Cream Legbar cock. Although he is very nice looking and well behaved to people and his hens, he is just plain OBNOXIOUS!!! I almost cant stand it. I am seriously surprised I haven't gotten complaints because of him. Any time a hen lays an egg he goes off running to find her all the while doing loud high pitch goose honking, and then that sets the other males off and I then have 4 males goose honking and then some of the hens get flustered and they start honking...  This happens repeatedly throughout the day

Its almost as though the males cant tell the difference between the egg song and an alarm call. I don't get it   This is probably my neighbors reactions  and soon it might be

Does anyone elses male birds do loud obnoxious high pitched goose honks repeatedly any time a hen does an egg song?

No rooster here but when one of my ladies starts singing not only does that get the other ladies going but my two wolf dogs also go out and starts howling with the chickens!

 

[nadrojsack]

Oh dear all this talk about crowing when ive just picked up a rooster.

Ive no crowed diy version 1.0 though. My rooster has a red brown in his back feathers is that normal?

 

[caychris]

He looks good so far they change a lot as they mature.

 

[duluthralphie]

How many eggs do you get from your CL'S?


I have two girls and I only get 3-4 eggs a week, is this normal? Do you think one of them is freeloading and not paying her rent? Is there a way to get more eggs?

They have a large run with only the trio in it. The run is about 10 feet wide by 60 feet long. The cover is about 5 ft high. I do not think they should feel crowded.

I feed them game bird layer, and oats for scratch. I am just feeling they should be laying twice as many eggs as they are.

 

[Phage]

Our older hens lay at least very other day. The younger ones it seems most days- maybe 5 per week, though not quite as many as our "grocery store" pullet who lays virtually every day.

 

[duluthralphie]

Our older hens lay at least very other day. The younger ones it seems most days- maybe 5 per week, though not quite as many as our "grocery store" pullet who lays virtually every day.

Not good for me, mine are not quite a year old.

 

[caychris]

Not good for me, mine are not quite a year old.

I think diet and stress make a difference. Sometimes the stress of the male can slow them down. Also look for mites or other bugs. Sometimes they dont show symptoms right away but egg production can be a sign. I have a pullet who is similar I get 3-5 eggs a week and she is kind of streaky at that got 3 in a row at one point then she took a break for 3 days. I think it may take a bit for them to get into a rhythm (which is easily thrown off) I hear lots about how good a layer they are though.

 

[Phage]

Our older hens lay at least very other day. The younger ones it seems most days- maybe 5 per week, though not quite as many as our "grocery store" pullet who lays virtually every day.

Not good for me, mine are not quite a year old.

Their diet may be too high in protein so they may not be taking in enough calories. I would change feed to regular layer feed.

Also consider worming them and treat for mites even if you don't see any. Ivermectin should cover both internal and external parasites.

 

[bekahubbell]

How many eggs do you get from your CL'S?


I have two girls and I only get 3-4 eggs a week, is this normal?  Do you think one of them is freeloading and not paying her rent?  Is there a way to get more eggs?

They have a large run with only the trio in it. The run is about 10 feet wide by 60 feet long. The cover is about 5 ft high.  I do not think they should feel crowded.

 I feed them game bird layer, and oats for scratch.  I am just feeling they should be laying twice as many eggs as they are.

My CL was hatched last June and has yet to lay her first egg. All my other chickens lay, but my CL is making me wait for that blue egg.

 

[ChicKat]

How many eggs do you get from your CL'S?


I have two girls and I only get 3-4 eggs a week, is this normal? Do you think one of them is freeloading and not paying her rent? Is there a way to get more eggs?

They have a large run with only the trio in it. The run is about 10 feet wide by 60 feet long. The cover is about 5 ft high. I do not think they should feel crowded.

I feed them game bird layer, and oats for scratch. I am just feeling they should be laying twice as many eggs as they are.

Their diet may be too high in protein so they may not be taking in enough calories. I would change feed to regular layer feed.

Also consider worming them and treat for mites even if you don't see any. Ivermectin should cover both internal and external parasites.

duluthralphie
did you mean only 3-4 from both or 3-4 a piece. -- if you are getting 8 a week - that may be the low end of 'normal' -- I agree that worming them with a pour-on that would kill any external parasites may give you a boost in eggs. And that protein may be too high. Gail Damerow among others explains that 'fat' chickens aren't good egg layers. IMO 16% protein is 'too low' even though that is what commercial growers use for store eggs -- and 20% gets a lot of eggs-- but may be too high for long term health. I think game bird feeds are 24% or so -- right?

If you are getting 3-4 from both combined that is really quite low IMO. I have one that lays about 6-days a week -- or maybe she is slacking down to 5ish now -- she didn't lay yesterday or the day before. She's 3-years old. Pullets generally 6-7 per. Then maybe a day off after 13 eggs in a row. I'm fortunate that I got a high-laying strain - and I really try to keep egg production up - because I think that is what is the most important thing for backyard flocks -- or at least at the entry level...gettting eggs from one's own chickens.

After you treat for pests -- experiment with their feed and see if it makes a difference. -- The old wives tales about putting pepper in the feed (any kind - black pepper, cayenne ) -- may increase their water intake. Fresh, plentiful water is really important to good egg production.

Let us know if you do see a change.