Hello - advice please re sex of one chick and breed confirmation on all three chickens

[Pommie Chick]

Hi I'm brand new to the site.
I've kept chickens before when I was back in the UK and had a Maran, Welsummer and Cream Legbar.

Recently I got some more chickens here in Adelaide. I struggled to find what I had. So I got 2 Orpington crosses and a silkie polish cross. The silkie polish turned out to be a Silkie / Orpington cross roo so I swapped him for another Orpington cross baby. My two older girls are 25 weeks now and still no eggs so far (is this normal?? my chickens in UK laid much earlier) The baby I swapped is now 13 weeks.

Can you have a look at her and confirm she is a girl please. I'm sure she is as no colour in comb and wattles, but that tail is worrying me slightly. The other 2 girls never had a tail that large. I've also added a couple of pics of my older girls for you to look at as they don't seem to look like any of the Orpington pics on your site and I'm worrying slightly. I've tried to get some decent pics but they won't come out of their run at the moment as the weather here is so hot! I seem to be worrying much more here than I did in UK due to our dry, hot conditions.

Thanks




This is my youngest girl, as you can see no comb colour at all but she has a large tail. I think she is a pullet but would love confirmation!







These are my older 2 girls, they are around 25 weeks. I'm worried as still no real comb and wattle colour. They are panting due to the heat here.

 

[ramirezframing]

Your older girls look like my mom's orps of mixed colors. My mom's orps had a buff orp mom and a black orp dad. The younger one also looks like a pullet. As for eggs, different breeds lay at different times and each bird will do the same. Before your girls start to lay, their combs and wattles should get bigger and turn red.

 

[Pommie Chick]

Awesome!! Just what I wanted to hear. Thanks!!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Your older girls look like my mom's orps of mixed colors. My mom's orps had a buff orp mom and a black orp dad. The younger one also looks like a pullet. As for eggs, different breeds lay at different times and each bird will do the same. Before your girls start to lay, their combs and wattles should get bigger and turn red.

They look perfectly fine to me, too. And they look like mixed Orps.

You have declining daylight hours right now, and that often pushes back the date of first egg. Also, Orps take a while to lay their first egg, in my experience.

 

[Wyandottes7]

All of your birds are females.

 

[Pommie Chick]

Thanks everyone, it's good to get confirmation of what you think you know!

Although we're not on declining day light here, I'm in Australia so still full blown summer, which this year has been very hot and dry and a lot of days recently have been between 35 - 42 degrees. Can the heat affect egg laying too?

Thanks

 

[ramirezframing]

Yes it can and does

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Thanks everyone, it's good to get confirmation of what you think you know!

Although we're not on declining day light here, I'm in Australia so still full blown summer, which this year has been very hot and dry and a lot of days recently have been between 35 - 42 degrees. Can the heat affect egg laying too?

Thanks

When I said it was declining daylight--yes, you are. Here in the states our daylight hours are increasing. In Adelaide, yours are decreasing right now. You're below 14 hours already. http://www.shootingonlocation.com/f...australia/adelaide/adelaide-sunrisesunset.php

Daylight starts to decrease in full summer, just as it starts to increase in full winter.

 

[Pommie Chick]

I never knew that lol. Wish we were on declining temps too. Yesterday was a whopping 42 degrees!

what's the best amount daylight hours for egg laying then?

Thanks

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I never knew that lol. Wish we were on declining temps too. Yesterday was a whopping 42 degrees!

what's the best amount daylight hours for egg laying then?

Thanks

A minimum of 14 hours. No more than 18.

Here's some info: http://umaine.edu/publications/2227e/

Some people believe that using supplemental lighting is not good for them, because they need a winter break. I do not believe that it harms them, esp. since they get a break when they moult each fall. This article has an interview with an avian vet: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html