Hello! Newb owner trying to do right by my Laying Ladies...

[dawgchick]

Hello all! We've had our girls for just over a month, now. Hubby built a great coop for them and we've fenced in a great little yard. We still are arguing about which breed they are, however... Someone told us RIR and someone else, Red Star. Hopefully, my pictures are good enough for some gurus here to shed some light!

Also, I can't help but be concerned about the current state of their plumage... As I understand things, they should not be laying during a molt but we're getting 6-8 eggs per day, from 10 hens. We can't spot and crawlies on anyone and it does look like new feathers are poking through, I think..?..

Their diet consists of free choice layers ration with BSS and/or scratch for recreational grazing in their yard while we wait for grass & bugs to appear (we had snow this morning). We were told to nix the oyster shells due to the ration be balanced... Thoughts on this? Our eggs seem good... The odd one with a jelly-like egg white, but I understand this is normal..?

Not sure if I've provided all the info needed, but if anyone can offer feedback, it would be greatly appreciated!

I just adore our sweet little ladies! And Mr. Roo is okay, too, lol! His 4 AM caroling is an acquired taste... Turkey Lurkey is not long for this world, as he's started to target our 5 year old son.

 

[dawgchick]

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

It does appear that they are molting, so yes, they are going to look shabby. Some birds do lay right thru a molt. You must be feeding some good feed for them to be able to replace feathers and lay eggs at the same time!! You might add some cooked ground beef or turkey a couple times a week to help with the feather growth. Be glad you are still getting the eggs! If it was too much on their systems, they wouldn't be laying at all. I would however, always keep oyster shell available at all times. Keep it in a separate container or small tub for those hens that might need a bit more. They will only eat it if they need it.

They look like RIR's to me, but I don't keep this breed, so hopefully when others stop by to welcome you here, they will know more than me!

Enjoy your wonderful flock and welcome to ours!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Nice girls! They look like some sort of Red Sex Link like the Red Stars, most RSLs are super commercial layers and will often lay fairly well right through molting the first year, they are really nice birds. Some of it also looks like it might have been rooster damage (you have a roo or do you know if they had a roo where the hens came from) or there may be some feather picking on each other going on, do keep an eye out for that.
I would offer oyster shell on the side even if you are feeding a balanced Layer food, just have a bowl close to where the feed is or toss a handful out in the run every now and then. An occasional shell-less egg isn't uncommon if they are coming back into lay or going through a molt etc, as long as you don't get too many of them they usually aren't anything to worry about.
You might like to check out the BYC Learning Center, lots of good articles on all aspects of chicken keeping. https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

 

[dawgchick]

Thank you very much, everyone! I will continue to lurk around and learn everything I can! I will also source out some oyster shell.

We have always had good shells on all our eggs, just the inside material and external shape varies a tad... They're just approaching their second summer, now. We did get them from an egg farmer, she had a few too many birds for her local bylaws and sold a few off. You could immediately see how well taken care of they were, how well they responded to a kind voice.

We did get them a rooster a couple of weeks after they'd settled in. I'm not totally convinced we need the randy rough hand, especially with them safe in their own yard. ;-) Things certainly were much more peaceful before his arrival, though the ladies seem to like him well enough, now.

I love how sweet and engaging the layers are. They follow me around while I putter in their yard. My son can pick them up and love on them. They allow him to gently roll eggs out from under them. The turkey and the rooster are much less interested in working with us!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Those are Red Sex Links for sure (or Golden Comets, Golden Sex Links, Cinnamon Queens, etc.).

Welcome to BYC!

They need lots of protein to grow feathers in. Don't give them too much scratch as it isn't as high in protein as their feed. If they don't have mites then they are molting IMO.

Do keep the oyster shell available for them!

 

[gander007]

 

[chickie farmer]

They look like mine. I have isa brown hens. Not saying yours are. but they have the same color markings as mine.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

It is possible they're molting. Glad you joined!