Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[CedarLane]

Are your girls back to laying, yet? I'm mostly still waiting. I have one girl who laid fairly regularly, all winter. But her eggs are fragile. She has a shell-gland issue. Sometimes her eggs go to the dogs. And I have one who lays maybe once or twice a week - out of eight girls. Four hens will be 3 years old in the spring. 4 hens will ne 2 years old. They are all RIRs.

Our hens are Isa Browns. They will be 2 years old this summer. They molted in the fall and really backed off laying for awhile. I was really surprised at how quickly they molted and started laying again. One (or more) is still laying smaller sized eggs, but we get an average of 6-8 eggs a day. I am surprised at how often we get 8 eggs with it being their second winter.

 

[1muttsfan]

View attachment 3736754
We use the 'old style' metal waterers, with heated bases in winter.
Mary

Me too

I have two hens laying, my little Arkansas blue - Bantam speckled Sussex mix and one of my Arkansas blues, who is a little older and her shells are thinner.

 

[Sally PB]

Of my 5 hens, one of the almost-4-year-olds laid a few eggs, then stopped. I saw her in the nest box the other day, but nada. The other 2 her age have nice red combs, but haven't even looked in the nest boxes.

One of the almost-3-year-olds is laying about 3 eggs a week. The other one that age hasn't laid an egg since she last went broody, last August. He comb is slightly more pink now, but I bet she's a good month away, at least. She was my best layer last year. When she wasn't broody.

The pullets, bless their feathered hearts, are keeping the egg skelter nearly full!

 

[fuzzi]

Hello! Hope everyone is staying warm.
I’m looking to expand my flock and I want a good setting breed that is very cold tolerant. BO came to mind first, but then a friend suggested Buff Rock is better. Never heard of it.. anyone have an opinion?
My new dream breeds are Blue copper Marans, Speckled Sussex and Silverudds Blue (Isbar) but I am not having luck finding them in hatcheries, so I’m looking at eggs.

I recall seeing Speckled Sussex standards for sale as day old chicks, maybe at Cackle?

I wanted bantams so I found a breeder in-state.

My bantam speckled Sussex came from two different breeders via eggs in the mail. Very poor hatch rate, but I have two hens and two roosters from two different sources. Hoping to exchange some eggs with someone this spring so we can both get a little more genetic diversity.

We might be able to arrange it. I lost my Boss Roo Joel, but Samuel has stepped up to the plate, and doing pretty well. His crow has definitely improved.

My problem is that the Dominiques lay similar eggs to the Sussex. I may have to put some food coloring in the vents (not red!) of my Sussex gals so I can tell the eggs apart.

Martha keeps going broody, will probably let her sit on a few eggs in about a month.

 

[1muttsfan]

I recall seeing Speckled Sussex standards for sale as day old chicks, maybe at Cackle?

I wanted bantams so I found a breeder in-state.

We might be able to arrange it. I lost my Boss Roo Joel, but Samuel has stepped up to the plate, and doing pretty well. His crow has definitely improved.

View attachment 3737583

I would love some non-shipped eggs for sure. And I'm willing to travel to pick them up. Probably not going to be ready for anything like that until at least the end of April though.

I have two unrelated roosters, with two hens, mother and daughter.

 

[fuzzi]

I would love some non-shipped eggs for sure. And I'm willing to travel to pick them up. Probably not going to be ready for anything like that until at least the end of April though.

I have two unrelated roosters, with two hens, mother and daughter.

But 1000 miles? I'm east of Raleigh, NC.

Hannah

Rahab

I just have the three hens (11 mo) and one roo.

 

[1muttsfan]

probably not! I do wish they were a little more common. They're such lovely little birds. And good layers too.

I'm sure that we can arrange an egg swap (shipped, unless I get really lucky and suddenly retire and can drive to get them), I just won't be ready to do anything like that until at least mid-April

 

[1muttsfan]

More pelican fun

 

[fuzzi]

probably not! I do wish they were a little more common. They're such lovely little birds. And good layers too.

I'm sure that we can arrange an egg swap (shipped, unless I get really lucky and suddenly retire and can drive to get them), I just won't be ready to do anything like that until at least mid-April

Just message me.

 

[Chickin Fairy]

My Olive Egger (2 years in May) and my bantam Silver Seabright (first year) are my only two laying so far. I have two EEs and two Wyandottes and a bantam game hen that are all 2 years as well, but nothing since their fall moult. I'm super surprised my Wyandottes aren't laying, yet, tho. They are usually my super reliable ones, and were laying reliably through their moult. The sun has been out every day at least for a bit for nearly a week, but still just those two. I'll blame it on the randiness of my rooster

I'm also seeing some broody tendencies starting to appear in my Seabright. Yay for barnyard flocks .