Egg laying faces & night light?

[LuvinMyPeeps]

I have 2 questions for you guys -

1) Do all hens have to have bright red combs and wattles before they'll start laying? My black cochin has a small light comb and no wattles, yet the store told me she was 10 weeks when I bought her. I bought my girls all at the same time and were told they were the same age. Some of my girls are getting brighter red faces, while others aren't.
Do some chickens get bright red faces while others don't when they start laying?

2) We don't have electricity in our coop, and I'd like to give my babies some light at night for a few extra hours. It's getting dark earlier now (7 ish). Do you think those battery powered 'candle' lights (unscented, if they even have them) would be enough light?

 

[debilorrah]

Well, first off I dont have much info other than, we were told ours hens were all old enough to lay and it has become clear that only 2 of six are that mature. I guess take the information with a grain of salt, post pics so we can help you age them and then go from there.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

Sounds great. I'll do it tomorrow, as I have to unload my camera to take some...

shame on me...what kind of a mommy am I to not have taken even one pix of my babies yet?!!

 

[debilorrah]

BAD mommy. HAHAHA! i HAVE SO MANY PICS OF THESE birds it's embarassing. sorry about the caps. I hae laptops!

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

I can see me now...someone will ask for pics of my babies and I'll unfold my long wallet with pics of my peeps....no human babies....hahaha.....oh the look on their faces.....

 

[debilorrah]

Hey everyone that knows us, including our kids, thinks we have ost our minds. what can I say?? These darned birds are FUN!

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

They sure are! The other day I was gleefully cooing over how much my babies have grown and their antics. I was also toying with the idea of putting a harness & leash on my delaware to see what she would do. (There's a lot of good eatin' near the back of the garage and I'd love to let her run there, but I don't dare free range them at this tender age)....anyway, my 16 yo daughter turns to me and says, "Mom, you might as well put a leash on a cockroach and drag him around too!"

.....where's the love I tell you....where???????????????

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
Me too....and they are all saved according the age in weeks or special events.

I must find a support group soon.

 

[gritsar]

I suppose you could use some sort of battery powered light, but I wonder why you'd want to? The chickens adjust naturally to the change of seasons and the change in the amount of daylight that brings.
Is the area with the good eating fenced? If so there's no reason why you can't let them do a little controlled free-ranging at 10 weeks old. Mine have been wandering around in the fenced yard since they were about 3 weeks old. Now they roam all over this farm. When you start it's best to wait until late in the evening, an hour or two before dusk. They'll be easier to get back in their coop that way because chickens naturally want to go to roost when it starts getting dark.
As for their faces I can tell at a glance which of my hens are laying or close to laying by their combs and wattles and their endless fascination with nest boxes.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

No, it doesn't have a fence and I don't want to risk getting them combined with our neighbors ducks and rooster who seems particularly interested in the girls. We only have electric horse fencing which is not working at the moment. The coop isn't ready yet (I have yet to decorate) so they are using a 4 x 4 x 8 run (open air - all hardware cloth with a small dog crate inside).

I've read posts that favor lighting in winter for young pullets even before they start laying vs letting them go natural with no added light. I'd rather do the latter, but maybe I'm being selfish........I want some eggs!!!!!

Ultimately though, I want what's best for my babies.