Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[megcpat]

I think that going broody is being confused with a laying cycle here. If a hen decides to set her eggs, she will stop laying until some time after she is taken off of the nest, but this is not the thing as a laying cycle. You are absolutely correct to associate the molt with the end of a cycle. The molt takes a lot of energy, so they don't really have much left for egg laying. after the first molt, the hen will resume laying, but normally they never lay as well as they did before the first molt, in their "pullet cycle."

 

[megcpat]

Oh, and I think that the typical answer to how long a laying cycle is is 18 months, but I have a darling Easter Egger who just finished her first molt and she is not yet a year old, so........ just when you think you've got something in the poultry world figured out, those darned little birds throw a monkey - wrench in there!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
So, then, a cycle IS a year (or until molt), correct? So, in Marans, the darkest eggs should be at the beginning, and if they are not consistent, it is common that they could lighten until molt. ??? So, if the eggs are light, and it is not nearly time to molt ..... they are just simply, "light eggs?" Am I correct?

That would mean, that the 15 - 18 eggs that ILOVEFRIZZLES gets, (then stopping), is not a "cycle?"

I'm confused, or just stupid .... it can't be both ways.

 

[megcpat]

Not Stupid!!! I think I responded to your length of cycle question at the same time as you were responding to me, so forgive me if you already saw my reply of 18 months for a typical laying cycle according to all the books, but my own girls do not always lay for anything like 18 month lengths.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
So, I am guessing, now .... that this is out of the ordinary, and not the usual way chickens and their cycles are.

<<< I think

>>>

Thank you!

 

[megcpat]

Part of Frizzle's hen behavior may be due to the daily egg cycle of hens..... 25 hours for an egg to be created and layed, so each day an egg is layed a bit later than the day before and eventually, instead of laying eggs at night, they take a day or so off to reset this cycle. Then they start over laying early again. Sounds like Frizzle has some good broody mommas there who want to set those eggs!!

 

[ILOVEFRIZZLES]

you can call it what ever you like mine will lay about 15 to 18 eggs then stop for a week or two and start back. And they do not molt. If I let the set on the eggs they do not lay until chicks do not need them anymore . If they do not set they start back in a week or two. It is not a year before they stop. I have about a 100 chickens and they all do the same thing. Most of my hens molt twice a year. It would be great if they laid egg for 6 months the molt and lay again for 6 months but that is not the cause. Now I have some that molt right before winter and do not lay anymore till spring and some that lay like winter is not here and some that lay all a few in winter. I have a lot of different breeds. But like I said before this is want my chicken do.

 

[megcpat]

Oh yes, many of mine refuse to behave by the book also, but that is what makes chicken keeping so much fun!!!

 

[ILOVEFRIZZLES]

no my EE do not go brood they lay 15-18 eggs and then stop for one to two weeks. But my cochins love to go brood.

 

[geebs]

I have a very naughty rooster... He has been put on the list for freezer camp... I had a Salmon Fave that was sitting a nest for about a week... I went in today and she was at the other end of the pen.... I had notice earlier that the rooster was in the Doghous... (where she has her nest with straw and such) and he was rooting around... That bugger ATE ALL OFHER EGGS... Shell and all!!!!! I could have killed him right there... He was my up and coming Bev Davis Rooster for a pen.. NOT... Freezer camp... that is his new job... I am so mad I could spit. Has anyone dealt with an egg eating rooster???? Any ideas????