Easter Egger club!

[annied24326]

Are you sure Frost is not a rooster?

Yes. Same size as the other EE, no spurs, saddle feathers, etc. Doesn't crow. Looks and acts like the other hens just doesn't lay eggs.

 

[annied24326]

@summerb123
 JuneBugGena knows what she's talking about. She suggested a higher protein food before so I switched from layer pellets to flock grower with 20% protein. In less than a week almost all of my girls started laying everyday. I at least 17 eggs a day, but a couple days ago I got 21 eggs from 24 active layers in one day!

It's an organic layer pellet. Can't remember the brand. All the other hens, one of them also an EE, lay regularly and their eggs are huge. Our girls also get to forage throughout the day and are supplemented with organic scratch, meal worms, occasionally oatmeal, and fruits and veggies. I doubt it's their feed.
I'm wondering if anyone has experience with intersex chickens? Or non layers? Or will she eventually start??

 

[annied24326]

@summerb123
 JuneBugGena knows what she's talking about. She suggested a higher protein food before so I switched from layer pellets to flock grower with 20% protein. In less than a week almost all of my girls started laying everyday. I at least 17 eggs a day, but a couple days ago I got 21 eggs from 24 active layers in one day!

That's a ton of eggs! We get between 1 and 4 a day out of 5 chickens and that's too many eggs for us. So we give them away.

 

[annied24326]

looks a little like Pepper that is almost 8 months her comb is big and bright red and bright red face! I'm hoping from eggs from her soon!

She's a beauty! Frost's comb is bright red as well now, the picture is from last fall. She looks the part, just won't do it. Haha

 

[Chicken5555]

Quote:

LOL, I have four children between 8 and 12. They eat a lot and eggs make easy protein rich snacks for them. I give some to friends too.

 

[Chicken5555]

Quote:
Oh, I see. It sounds like your chickens are being very well fed.

I've heard of true Ameraucanas waiting as long as 18 months to lay their first egg. Easter eggers and Ameraucanas have the same origins. Also, the time of year that she was hatched may impact when she starts laying. It also has to do with the individual bird. For example, I have three black Ameraucana sisters. Two laid their first eggs right after Christmas when they were eight months old. The other just laid her first egg last week at 10 months old. My "gang of nine" easter egger sisters were the same way. It took three or four months for all of them to lay their first egg.

 

[annied24326]

LOL, I have four children between 8 and 12. They eat a lot and eggs make easy protein rich snacks for them. I give some to friends too. 

Haha, yeah, good and healthy snacks! We got our girls mainly because our daughter really wanted to raise chickens once. The eggs are just a nice side effect of that ;-)

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Try switching back to starter/grower with oyster shell offered free choice on the side. Or blend some in to your current feed (no sense in wasting money!). The EEs *really* need the higher protein level yet I found all my birds benefited from it when I switched back. It's all I get now. Makes feeding easier, the birds like it and they can lay more eggs and have healthier feathers.

My neighbor was in the same boat with her EEs and she was feeding a high quality layer feed. As soon as she switched back to starter (of the same, high quality brand) her EEs kicked it into gear.

I think the layer formulas are geared toward flocks of mostly Leghorn and Sex Link (like ISA Brown). Some of the new layer feeds I'm seeing are closer to the 20% protein mark, which is better for most backyard birds that aren't bred solely for egg production.

Also, if you have roosters, they'll do much better on the higher protein, lower calcium feed.

Thanks to Junebuggena for the recommendation!

 

[Jen-Brd]

My EE. She finally laid an egg at about 9 mo.

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[Jen-Brd]