Euskal Oiloa ( Basque Thread)

[naturespace]

     Hello, New Member here, And as a lurker of BYC for some time now, My daughter wanting chickens, and this particular thread, I thought it was time to raise chickens again.
      So off I went and bid on some chicks, Well I recieved them on 5/23/12 although quite a variance in color and patterns, they have been a joy to have around.

      My questions are, When can i expect them to start laying ? I am in western,Mass here and its been pretty cold lately, so i dont know if this has any affect on this breed but it seems to
      me that they should have started by now. And I guess that leads to my second question, Are these a cold hardy breed ?

Welcome!
26 weeks. They should start any day now, but less light could also be causing a difference.
Any photos you have will be enjoyed by all of us.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi Baywest, welcome to BYC!

Yes they are cold hardy, and do well in heat too.

Sounds like your girls are a little slow to get going, not unusual in birds that mature late in the fall. You could add a few hours of light in the morning with a light on a timer, that should help. Just make sure the light is WELL secured with at least 2 separate ties - I also secure the cord in several places. Fire is a real danger in coops.

 

[buckabucka]

     Hello, New Member here, And as a lurker of BYC for some time now, My daughter wanting chickens, and this particular thread, I thought it was time to raise chickens again.
      So off I went and bid on some chicks, Well I recieved them on 5/23/12 although quite a variance in color and patterns, they have been a joy to have around.

      My questions are, When can i expect them to start laying ? I am in western,Mass here and its been pretty cold lately, so i dont know if this has any affect on this breed but it seems to
      me that they should have started by now. And I guess that leads to my second question, Are these a cold hardy breed ?

Welcome! Mine were born in early April, and I got my first egg on September 21st. I agree with naturespace that eggs will arrive very soon. Mine are laying steadily, - more consistently than other breed pullets I have from the same hatch.

I do not light or have insulation in my coop, so I sure do hope they are cold hardy!

 

[ronott1]

Hello, New Member here, And as a lurker of BYC for some time now, My daughter wanting chickens, and this particular thread, I thought it was time to raise chickens again.
So off I went and bid on some chicks, Well I recieved them on 5/23/12 although quite a variance in color and patterns, they have been a joy to have around.

My questions are, When can i expect them to start laying ? I am in western,Mass here and its been pretty cold lately, so i dont know if this has any affect on this breed but it seems to
me that they should have started by now. And I guess that leads to my second question, Are these a cold hardy breed ?

Mine hatched in April and two started laying at about 25 weeks. The third one has not started and probably will not until January. One of the layers is broody. I am going to put a couple of just hatched chicks under her tonight or tomorrow night depending on when they hatch.

I hope yours start soon!

 

[BayWest Farm]

Thanks for all the fast replies !

I asked about the cold hardiness because the first nite that it got down in the twenties here, I had lost two hens and a third was real
lathargic, but my daughter nursed it back. It was funny, I told her to bring it in her room to warm up, she made a nest with a blanket
in the corner with some food and electrolytes,,,,The bird stayed in the little nest for three days.

Heres a random shot of a few of my EO,s


Heres Whitey, The one my daughter nursed back, Not really sure whether this is a rooster or hen, also this is the runt of the litter



Here is their coop

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for all the fast replies !

I asked about the cold hardiness because the first nite that it got down in the twenties here, I had lost two hens and a third was real
lathargic, but my daughter nursed it back. It was funny, I told her to bring it in her room to warm up, she made a nest with a blanket
in the corner with some food and electrolytes,,,,The bird stayed in the little nest for three days.

Heres a random shot of a few of my EO,s


Heres Whitey, The one my daughter nursed back, Not really sure whether this is a rooster or hen, also this is the runt of the litter



Here is their coop

I Forgot to say :





Your have a very nice setup and beautiful EOs. I like the white one and the speckled ones too.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I Forgot to say :





Your have a very nice setup and beautiful EOs. I like the white one and the speckled ones too.

X2 Welcome to BYC and pretty Euskal Oiloas!

~ Aspen

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Well I had several pictures I wanted to post, but BYC is giving me a tiresome hard time uploading them at the moment so here is one, for now....



I took the camera with me while locking everyone up for the night. Both the EO boys like to keep their distance from the other roosters so they sleep on the other side of the pen and beg for handouts. ; )

~ Aspen

ETA: The white stuff on his wattle is Whole Oats from the mash he ate before the pic was taken, just so you know. : )

 

[1muttsfan]

Baywest, it would be very unusual for healthy birds provided a good coop like that to die in temperatures that only go down to the 20's. Also, a healty bird would have been up and around as soon as it warmed up if it was just cold. It seems likely that something else was wrong, making your birds more susceptable to cold - 20 degrees is not that cold for chickens, they are very hardy. You might want to post over in the Diseases and Injuries section for some suggestions. I would have a fecal sample checked at at vets for a start to make sure you don't have parasite issues, as they can make birds more likely to get sick from other things.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Well I had several pictures I wanted to post, but BYC is giving me a tiresome hard time uploading them at the moment so here is one, for now....

Dang, Aspen! When I looked at this pic I thought you had a pushme-pullyou!!!

Look out, Cornish Crosses - Mrs. Fluffy Puffy has double breasted EOs!!!