Jersey giants

[Ashley & Donna Dame]

Hi all,
Recently we adopted four chickens. Three jersey giants and one golden comet. It says that jersey giants are docile and friendly, however I don't think these chickens read that article. It's been nearly a month since we adopted them. They are supposedly almost 2 years old. They laid 2 eggs within a couple days of getting them and since then there's been nothing. It's been almost a month.
They are beautiful birds and sweet but they won't let you near them without cowering in a corner. The comet is VERY sociable and we love her to pieces. The giants are beautiful birds and we would like to see them start laying soon.
With that being said, we have 3 other flocks made of different breeds from silkies, and cochins, to easter eggers, leghorns and sexlinks. It's been a very trying 6 or 8 months. They went from laying few eggs, to molt, to fully feathered and still barely laying.
Any ideas on this stuff?

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

We have the same problem with our flock(the lack of egg not the attitude), so I can't answer any questions but I will be watching it for answers.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Do you provide artificial lighting? Most egg production can decrease in winter because of the lack of adequate daylight.

I turn on a light in our coop beginning late sept - early October. Its in a timer to run a little in the morning and a little in the evening, combining with natural daylight for a total of 15hrs a day (14 needed for consistent egg production). This keeps my Brahmas laying all winter.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Corect me if I am wrong, but Brahmas are winter layers right?

 

[Mtnboomer]

Suppose

Corect me if I am wrong, but Brahmas are winter layers right?

Supposed to be one of the best. But mine do not without a little encouragement.

Our spring hatchlings that come of age in the fall and begin laying around November will lay an egg a day like clockwork with no artificial lighting at all. However, the same bird the following fall/winter at 1.5 yrs will lay only a handful in a month unless I turn on the lights. Then I get 12-15 eggs a month per bird.
That is an avg if course. More mild days and they are more consistent. Yesterday and today the temps were 52 degrees daytime. I got 4 eggs from 7 hens both days. Right now its snowing and calling for 6" by morning with overnight windchills at -3 degrees. I'd ve surprised if i get any tomorrow.

 

[Folly's place]

Hens do want fourteen to sixteen hours of light daily for egg production, so without some extra hours of lighting during the winter, egg production will be pretty sad. Pullets will do better their first winter, true.
Some breeds, and some individuals, may produce eggs with less than sixteen hours of light, but that's the normal requirement.
Moving to a new home, or any other stress, will drop egg production too, sometimes for a month or longer. With spring coming, and longer daylight hours, things should improve for you.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

We've only had a few JGs, all from hatcheries. the first two hens we kept were very social, much smaller than the breed standard, and lived to ten years of age. Loved them! The next time we had a few, years later, they weren't all that interested in humans, just blended into the background, and we likely won't have more any time soon. Totally personal preference on our part.
Hope your new birds get over their fear soon.
Mary

 

[Ashley & Donna Dame]

We don't have

Do you provide artificial lighting? Most egg production can decrease in winter because of the lack of adequate daylight.

I turn on a light in our coop beginning late sept - early October. Its in a timer to run a little in the morning and a little in the evening, combining with natural daylight for a total of 15hrs a day (14 needed for consistent egg production). This keeps my Brahmas laying all winter.

Hi all,
Recently we adopted four chickens. Three jersey giants and one golden comet. It says that jersey giants are docile and friendly, however I don't think these chickens read that article. It's been nearly a month since we adopted them. They are supposedly almost 2 years old. They laid 2 eggs within a couple days of getting them and since then there's been nothing. It's been almost a month.
They are beautiful birds and sweet but they won't let you near them without cowering in a corner. The comet is VERY sociable and we love her to pieces. The giants are beautiful birds and we would like to see them start laying soon.
With that being said, we have 3 other flocks made of different breeds from silkies, and cochins, to easter eggers, leghorns and sexlinks. It's been a very trying 6 or 8 months. They went from laying few eggs, to molt, to fully feathered and still barely laying.
Any ideas on this stuff?

Hi all,
Recently we adopted four chickens. Three jersey giants and one golden comet. It says that jersey giants are docile and friendly, however I don't think these chickens read that article. It's been nearly a month since we adopted them. They are supposedly almost 2 years old. They laid 2 eggs within a couple days of getting them and since then there's been nothing. It's been almost a month.
They are beautiful birds and sweet but they won't let you near them without cowering in a corner. The comet is VERY sociable and we love her to pieces. The giants are beautiful birds and we would like to see them start laying soon.
With that being said, we have 3 other flocks made of different breeds from silkies, and cochins, to easter eggers, leghorns and sexlinks. It's been a very trying 6 or 8 months. They went from laying few eggs, to molt, to fully feathered and still barely laying.
Any ideas on this stuff?

We don't do artificial light for a couple reasons. First, we've had chickens now for 4 years and never provided light, although we did provide heat if extremely cold. We decided we want the chickens to live their lives in the most natural state possible. Second we moved off grid in 2020, so to provide the xtra electrical to the coops now isn't a doable thing. However, this has been going on for nearly 8 months.

 

[Ashley & Donna Dame]

We don't have





We don't do artificial light for a couple reasons. First, we've had chickens now for 4 years and never provided light, although we did provide heat if extremely cold. We decided we want the chickens to live their lives in the most natural state possible. Second we moved off grid in 2020, so to provide the xtra electrical to the coops now isn't a doable thing. However, this has been going on for nearly 8 months.

A quick update.....Jersey Giants are still not laying and still timid....however, our silkies have begun laying again. We got 4 eggs this morning from that coop. That's the most we've gotten in months. I figure the rest will begin to follow soon.
Thank you for all your responses.