Hen Getting Ready to Lay??

[chickwhisperer 17]

YAY!!! BBB.

 

[ChiefSuperFly]

I hope you get some eggs soon!! I love the name rose for your RIR!

I've got a problem with a few of mine popping in the nesting boxes- they choose to sleep there and yuck! I clean the box and someone will lay an egg and poopy chicken gets in it and ruins my eggs over night after reading everyone's advice I initially thought a golf ball would help (combs are just now getting color) but probably not if they are roosting and pooping on eggs already there :/

 

[aart]

I've got a problem with a few of mine popping in the nesting boxes- they choose to sleep there and yuck! I clean the box and someone will lay an egg and poopy chicken gets in it and ruins my eggs over night after reading everyone's advice I initially thought a golf ball would help (combs are just now getting color) but probably not if they are roosting and pooping on eggs already there :/

You've got to 'make' them sleep on the roost instead of in the nests.
Roost should be 1 foot higher than nests and of adequate length for all birds to fit with 'extra' room to maneuver getting up there.
Move birds from nests to roost well after dark......
...or cover nests an hour before roost time,
then uncover when locking up after dark or fist thing in the morning.

 

[ChiefSuperFly]

You've got to 'make' them sleep on the roost instead of in the nests.
Roost should be 1 foot higher than nests and of adequate length for all birds to fit with 'extra' room to maneuver getting up there.
Move birds from nests to roost well after dark......
...or cover nests an hour before roost time,
then uncover when locking up after dark or fist thing in the morning.

Thank you!!!!

 

[allbuffs]

Hi,
Mt Buffs are almost 6 mo's old, their waddles are just pink, I don't think they are showing much sign of laying. I feed laying feed and they have oyster shells and goodies from the house. 14 hens have 64 sq. foot coop and a 12ft by 10ft run. I keep things clean and dry, what am I doing wrong ????? They are big girls but don't seem to eat that much. I take "Golden Boy" out for a few hrs. a day.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Hi,
Mt Buffs are almost 6 mo's old, their waddles are just pink, I don't think they are showing much sign of laying. I feed laying feed and they have oyster shells and goodies from the house. 14 hens have 64 sq. foot coop and a 12ft by 10ft run. I keep things clean and dry, what am I doing wrong ????? They are big girls but don't seem to eat that much. I take "Golden Boy" out for a few hrs. a day.

BOs take longer to mature than some other breeds, I've got 4 right now that just made 24wks. Today I noticed their combs/wattles seem to have some color to it overnight, although I'm not expecting them to start laying until Nov/Dec. I was given some Wynadottes that were 6 months, red combs/wattles but they never laid until they were 8 months but I feed all my girls Flock Raiser (fermented) with grit & Oyster Shell on the side when they start laying. RIR do lay around 18wks if not earlier as do EEs, not sure about other breeds, just have had these.

They LOOK BIG but not really, it's all those feathers. Hubby & I figured my girls weighed at least 5#+. Weighed them to find out it's all feathers plus been feeding them too much treats, they weighed in 3 - 3.5lbs @ 22wks. I stopped feeding so much treats, they've all gained between .25 - .50lbs in 2wks, eating more of their FF .

 

[chickencheeper]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A...icken+grit&dpPl=1&dpID=41IwA9zy5dL&ref=plSrchI'm also waiting for our RIR to lay, she's just over 17 weeks and her comb is very red. We bought them some granite chicken grit but they don't seem to be intrested in it. Should I use oyster shells instead?

 

[ChickNanny13]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A...icken+grit&dpPl=1&dpID=41IwA9zy5dL&ref=plSrchI'm also waiting for our RIR to lay, she's just over 17 weeks and her comb is very red. We bought them some granite chicken grit but they don't seem to be intrested in it. Should I use oyster shells instead?

Yes, there's is a definite difference, they NEED Oyster Shells to strengthen egg shells, grit is to aid in digestion of their food in their crop. If you're feeding layer, they suppose to get the calcium they need from it but it's good to have OS on the side in the event they need more, they'll eat as they need.

Comb & wattle redness is a sign of maturing preparing to lay BUT watch for the "squat", it happens about few weeks before they lay. Squat = when you approach or try to pick them up, they'll squat (submission for the Roo). Sure makes it easier to catch them for a dusting, ha ha

 

[aart]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A...icken+grit&dpPl=1&dpID=41IwA9zy5dL&ref=plSrchI'm also waiting for our RIR to lay, she's just over 17 weeks and her comb is very red. We bought them some granite chicken grit but they don't seem to be intrested in it. Should I use oyster shells instead?

They need both the granite grit and the oyster shell, just put them in separate containers they can access whenever they need too.

The grit actually operates in the gizzard, not the crop.
Here's some good info on grit:
http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf

 

[ChickNanny13]

@aart Thank you for correcting me, I had a mental block & couldn't think of the word gizzard