Euskal Oiloa ( Basque Thread)

[Maggiesdad]

Mine are tested tough to -4°. They have a goodly amount of fluff, and they are not a loose feathered bird. Good ventilation, but sheltered from drafts and wind is key.

For winter eggs you'll want to time your pullets to hit POL in early Nov. My hens go on holiday in mid Oct, and resume in mid to late Jan with no supplemental lighting.

 

[LindaB220]

Mine are tested tough to -4°. They have a goodly amount of fluff, and they are not a loose feathered bird. Good ventilation, but sheltered from drafts and wind is key.

For winter eggs you'll want to time your pullets to hit POL in early Nov. My hens go on holiday in mid Oct, and resume in mid to late Jan with no supplemental lighting.

Hey Maggiesdad, when do they start to lay? I have one pullet 2 wks old and such a cutie.

 

[FVRM]

I hatched 4 of them. They're only 6 weeks old, so I'm hoping i get a roo and some pullets. I would love to swap some eggs with some of you here. It will probably be in the spring of 2015

 

[Maggiesdad]

Hey Maggiesdad, when do they start to lay? I have one pullet 2 wks old and such a cutie.

24-26 wks for me... the normally sweet tempered girls will get cranky and ill tempered 7-10days before the first egg, then back to their good natured selves after a week or two of laying.

 

[ronott1]

24-26 wks for me... the normally sweet tempered girls will get cranky and ill tempered 7-10days before the first egg, then back to their good natured selves after a week or two of laying.

Unless they go broody--I had one do that. She was very protective of those Golf Balls!

 

[OrangeRooster11]

We sold two Marraduna Basque pairs at the "Waverly" swap in April of 2014. Did you get the "silver" rooster and the reddish hen? They're good looking chickens. My dad doesn't like them because the eggs are too small for his liking. The hens also prefer to lay their eggs on the floor of the coop. They are good consistent layers though. Did you hatch your chicks in an incubator or did you have a hen sit on the eggs? I have read that these Basque hens rarely go broody.

 

[1muttsfan]

I have not had any problems with hens laying outside the nest boxes, they will stand in line for the favored one.

 

[buckabucka]

My Basques survived -30 F here. The rooster lost all the points on his comb, and everyone shivered, but they were fine.

I am torn about ending my Little Basque flock here. This is the second roo with foot/knee problems. I hatched a new cockerel this spring (the first with yellow legs!), but I also bought a new breed and need a flock to put that cockerel with. One of my three different roosters will be replaced, and while it may make more sense to get rid of the OE mutt rooster, he is my favorite in character. Still mulling this over....

 

[chickeemama]

Here is the pair I got at Waverly.

 

[LindaB220]

Here is the pair I got at Waverly.

Nice, good job of choosing. My one lone 2 wk pullet is a cutie. And wanting out of the small coop. Active.