Is it just Illinois weather?

[frenchblackcopper]

Anyone else in the central midwest experiencing a slow start to their ornamental pheasants starting to lay? So far starting mid last week I got 2 red golden eggs,,this past weekend I got two more red golden and 2 dark throat red golden eggs,total of 6 so far!! My Yellow Goldens havn't even thought about it yet,although the male is putting the miles on the hens and screeching every evening.Same with my Lady Amherst,but that male is new with his harem of 3 hens and he don't seem acclimated yet. All my red goldens are 3 years old,as is my yellow golden male and dark throated male.Yellow and dark throated hens are just 1 year old. Their eating 28% crumbles.I know it has been getting down in the upper 30's at night,and some days not making it above 50 degrees.But I kinda thought with the older quad of reds,who laid over 70 eggs last year,once they started this year,they would keep going steady??

 

[bandbaustin]

Randy,

Same here. My red goldens just started laying the other day. My amherst quad hasnt started yet. My one group of melanistic ringnecks has been churning out pretty good but the other group which is older has not laid a single egg. I am getting eggs from one peacock hen. The swinhoes and silver pheasants are laying pretty good now. This weather definately sucks right now. I am afraid to leave any eggs out overnight.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Brian,this weekend the guy from south of me is coming here to pick up marans chicks I have in the bator for him,due to hatch Saturday-Sunday,,,this is the same guy who supplied me with all the peaock eggs last summer,and he was going to start saving them this week and bring them to me to incubate starting this weeklend. I won 12 cinnamon golden eggs from an auction ,coming from Chicago,and he was throwing in 2 black melanistic pheasant eggs,,my luck only one of those will hatch,,if you have any pea eggs and want to bring them down sunday,and throw in a few extra black melanistic pheasant eggs,,I have room,,,hint-hint!!!

 

[t1810]

we have 8 eggs so far 1 was cracked thought from our 2 rg hens they are last years birds

 

[scratch'n'peck]

the mute swans are laying later, too, due to this weather

 

[ranit]

The Illinois weather has been even crazier than normal this year. My goldens and amhearst, even my ringnecks just started laying last week. One peahen is laying but still waiting on eggs from the other two. I'm just ready for it to get warm and stay warm!

 

[bandbaustin]

Randy

I absolutely will be giving you some melanistic eggs. I should be able to bring some to the may swap at kankakee if u r going. Doubt I will have any pea eggs yet but I'll bring you some melanistic for you.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Yes I will go,,still looking for peach,,my poor male may wind up with some yellow or red golden hens,,next swap is May 1st,,,thats only 1 1/2 weeks away,,,,,if you have a dozen to spare of the blacks,I'm sure I have space to build another pen,as if I don't have enough pens to build this summer,,

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Today they must have finally decided it was time.Got my first 2 Lady Amherst eggs along with my first Yellow Golden egg. I've been getting 2 red Golden eggs every other day for a week now,and the dark throats seems to be about the same,but the Yellows and Lady Amhersts was a suprise today.Doubt they will hatch but Sunday all eggs collected for the week goes into the sauna for 28 days

 

[IOWA GAMEBIRD]

Quail and Pheasants have finally started to lay eggs this week in Iowa.