Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[BGMatt]

Apparently the quote function still isn't working reliably...anyway 3riverschick, when do you typically hatch? If you hatch in Jan/Feb (maybe early march) you might get early laying June/July and they should lay right through winter. At least that's the way I have always done it. But if I have pullets that are just reaching 6 months in Oct/Nov they won't reach point of lay as quickly.

Edit: and always mark faster maturing birds so you can go back and select from them when setting up breeding pens.

 

[ronott1]

Karen, if there was a list I would not pay it any attention. Too many variables. Genetics, management, etc. It is a matter of getting to know your birds.

I will say that my later hatched birds tend to take a tad longer to reach POL.

I agree that 24 wks would be a reasonable goal for your birds.

Absolutely do not pay attention to dates listed.

Hendersons does not give a date for POL but does give guidelines for when they Mature. For example, Leghorns says extremely early maturing. They will lay eggs as early as 16 weeks. Then Brahmas says Slow Maturing so they will reach POL after the average for all chickens which is 22 weeks. Very slow maturing would be in the 30 week range.

The descriptions give you a general idea for how long it will take. Like I posted above, it also depends on the time of year.

 

[3riverschick]

Apparently the quote function still isn't working reliably...anyway 3riverschick, when do you typically hatch? If you hatch in Jan/Feb (maybe early march) you might get early laying June/July and they should lay right through winter. At least that's the way I have always done it. But if I have pullets that are just reaching 6 months in Oct/Nov they won't reach point of lay as quickly.

Edit: and always mark faster maturing birds so you can go back and select from them when setting up breeding pens.

Ok, thanks. These pullets were hatched April 1st, 15th and 28th, respectively.

 

[BGMatt]

Yeah, so that's one of the extenuating circumstances. By the time those chicks reach 6 months, especially the late April chicks the days are already getting short, light isn't as long as it should be for laying. If you were running lights starting early sept when natural light drops down they might lay earlier too. I would imagine if you hatched even feb/march you'd see them start laying at 24 weeks without making any other changes.

As discussed before in this thread too, those early hatched chicks will likely grow larger as well. And that's never a bad thing.

 

[3riverschick]

Yeah, so that's one of the extenuating circumstances. By the time those chicks reach 6 months, especially the late April chicks the days are already getting short, light isn't as long as it should be for laying. If you were running lights starting early sept when natural light drops down they might lay earlier too. I would imagine if you hatched even feb/march you'd see them start laying at 24 weeks without making any other changes.

As discussed before in this thread too, those early hatched chicks will likely grow larger as well. And that's never a bad thing.

Ok, I didn't turn on lights in Sept. Only when it got cold enough in the middle
of Nov. that I was worried about frostbite on combs.
Then they come on and stay on 24/7 till things warm up again. I did have 3 early hatched pullets (Feb. 23rd) . but the dam ( hatched March 2012, started laying the middle week of Jan. 2012) did not nick and I culled 2 of them. The 3rd pullet started laying in late summer 2013.
My second pullet was hatched in May of 2012, she started laying the last week of Jan. 2012. But her older sister had decided to do broody and was raising her chicks in the coop. So I had moved the May hatched pullet into the cockerel coop. I didn't have facilities to raise more chicks in an outside grow out pen, so waited till March to set her eggs so the weather would be warm enough when the chicks went outside in a grow-out pen. That's why I planned to have them hatched so her chicks were hatched in consecutive hatches April 1,15, and 28. They're the one reaching POL now.

 

[BGMatt]

You'll also probably have better luck with winter laying if they only get 15 hours of light instead of 24/7. Light is the most important factor, not heat. They need rest too to lay well.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, I didn't turn on lights in Sept. Only when it got cold enough in the middle
of Nov. that I was worried about frostbite on combs.
Then they come on and stay on 24/7 till things warm up again. I did have 3 early hatched pullets (Feb. 23rd) . but the dam ( hatched March 2012) did not nick and I culled 2 of them. The 3rd pullet started laying in late summer 2013.
My second pullet wasn't hatched till May of 2012, so she didn't start laying till March 2012. So her chicks were hatched in consecutive hatches April 1,15, and 28. They're the one reaching POL now.

You'll also probably have better luck with winter laying if they only get 15 hours of light instead of 24/7. Light is the most important factor, not heat. They need rest too to lay well.

I've read too that lights 24/7 interferes with egg laying so I agree with BGMatt. If your birds' pens aren't damp and exposed to winter winds, they shouldn't have frostbite issues with all those fluffy feathers keeping them warm.

 

[3riverschick]

I've read too that lights 24/7 interferes with egg laying so I agree with BGMatt. If your birds' pens aren't damp and exposed to winter winds, they shouldn't have frostbite issues with all those fluffy feathers keeping them warm.

Before I put the lights in, I had comb frost bite issues a couple of years ago. Poor males. I felt so sorry for them. I tried turning the lights off but got bruised combs from the cold. They went away when I turned the lights back on. So I am erring on the side of caution. I guess I could put a ceramic heat emitter bulb in there , but they are expensive. Excepting that, I haven't found a way to keep frostbite at bay without a 60 watt light on 24/7 from freeze to thaw.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I have used those ceramic heat bulbs and they work very well. They have a life much longer than a light bulb, IME.

You could also try what dragonlady does... make sleeping boxes for your birds to all pile into to keep each other warm. When I get mine built, its going to be basically a 3 sided box with an open top and enough of a fourth wall to keep a pile of shavings in. That way, there shouldn't be any issues with frostbite or drafts or moisture... hopefully.

 

[3riverschick]

I have used those ceramic heat bulbs and they work very well. They have a life much longer than a light bulb, IME.

You could also try what dragonlady does... make sleeping boxes for your birds to all pile into to keep each other warm. When I get mine built, its going to be basically a 3 sided box with an open top and enough of a fourth wall to keep a pile of shavings in. That way, there shouldn't be any issues with frostbite or drafts or moisture... hopefully.

sleeping box. that's an idea hadn't thought of.
Hum...