MPC Super blue egg layer eggs

[kie4]

Nice!! Both of our SBELs laid in Week 19, one at 19 weeks and 4 days, the other at 19 weeks and 6 days.
So, I'm guessing you don't have much longer to wait!

Today we had our first broody-hatched-egg (some kind of cream crested legbar mix) lay her first egg at 18 weeks and 6 days- well, the first time I've caught her in the act, but it can't have been much earlier .. maybe growing up in the summer makes for earlier egg laying??

Hi @Shezadandy , 18 weeks and 6 days!? that is exciting. Today we are on 17 weeks and 1 day. No eggs yet. Does the comb change to red when you give them treats? I whistle and they all run over with red faces and combs. Then after treats they chill out and seem to go back to pink.

 

[Shezadandy]

Hi @Shezadandy , 18 weeks and 6 days!? that is exciting. Today we are on 17 weeks and 1 day. No eggs yet. Does the comb change to red when you give them treats? I whistle and they all run over with red faces and combs. Then after treats they chill out and seem to go back to pink.

Beautiful girls! Yes, when they exert themselves (like running over for treats) they'll gain some red in their wattles and comb.

Here's what one looked like the week they laid that first egg- I wasn't really trying to get a picture of her when I took these back in August, but it shows the size/color of comb the week after the first egg.

 

[kie4]

Here's what one looked like the week they laid that first egg- I wasn't really trying to get a picture of her when I took these back in August, but it shows the size/color of comb the week after the first egg. [/quote] She looks like a showbird! Our SBEL doesn't have a tail that sticks up like that and the feathers on her long neck stick out at all angles. She has a lot more black flecks. Thanks for the reference. If your two first laid on 19 weeks then I'm expecting the same for our SBEL. Of course environment must play a part and the weather is getting colder.

 

[Shezadandy]

Here's what one looked like the week they laid that first egg- I wasn't really trying to get a picture of her when I took these back in August, but it shows the size/color of comb the week after the first egg.

She looks like a showbird! Our SBEL doesn't have a tail that sticks up like that and the feathers on her long neck stick out at all angles. She has a lot more black flecks.

Thanks for the reference. If your two first laid on 19 weeks then I'm expecting the same for our SBEL. Of course environment must play a part and the weather is getting colder.[/QUOTE]

Yes, environment and also the difference between having some Ameraucana blood in yours vs. the Leghorn in ours. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of blue you get!
Unrelated to the SBELs, I've got a couple AM crosses- one started laying this week, week 19. Those were broody raised and got a lot of outdoor time as chicks- grew much faster than the brooder-raised chicks (my SBELs were brooder raised).

 

[kie4]

Yes, environment and also the difference between having some Ameraucana blood in yours vs. the Leghorn in ours. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of blue you get!
Unrelated to the SBELs, I've got a couple AM crosses- one started laying this week, week 19. Those were broody raised and got a lot of outdoor time as chicks- grew much faster than the brooder-raised chicks (my SBELs were brooder raised).

Hi @Shezadandy ,

Do chicks who grow up outside a brooder lay earlier?

My SBEL grew up really quick compared to the chicks I currently have in the brooder. Her size seems to have leveled off now though at 17wks 3 days.

It's getting really cold but I provide 14 hours of light to the ladies. As long as the light is there does temperature make a difference?

 

[Shezadandy]

Hi @Shezadandy ,

Do chicks who grow up outside a brooder lay earlier?

My SBEL grew up really quick compared to the chicks I currently have in the brooder. Her size seems to have leveled off now though at 17wks 3 days.

It's getting really cold but I provide 14 hours of light to the ladies. As long as the light is there does temperature make a difference?

Apologies for the delay- I'm not sure if chicks raised outdoors lay earlier - my experience is they grow considerably faster, and the earliest laying pullet was one of those, but not a big enough sample size to make a blanket statement. I've got some that were raised by a broody over the summer and others that are now about a month old, so they'll have been raised outside by a broody over the fall/winter- I'm curious how they might compare. As far as temperature goes, I think light is more important- temperature might matter more on a breed by breed basis... but I'm not sure about that either.

=) That first egg can't be too much longer now!

 

[kie4]

Apologies for the delay- I'm not sure if chicks raised outdoors lay earlier - my experience is they grow considerably faster, and the earliest laying pullet was one of those, but not a big enough sample size to make a blanket statement. I've got some that were raised by a broody over the summer and others that are now about a month old, so they'll have been raised outside by a broody over the fall/winter- I'm curious how they might compare. As far as temperature goes, I think light is more important- temperature might matter more on a breed by breed basis... but I'm not sure about that either.

=) That first egg can't be too much longer now!

Hi @Shezadandy , my SBEL is 18wks3 days today, her comb look so red but she still won't do the squat. I'm not expecting anything from her BCM sister anytime soon, but her colour is a lot redder, and she's getting quite noisy lately with her clucking. No squats from anybody though, so I'm not going to go looking through the bushes for eggs that weren't laid in the coop or run.

 

[Shezadandy]

Hi @Shezadandy , my SBEL is 18wks3 days today, her comb look so red but she still won't do the squat. I'm not expecting anything from her BCM sister anytime soon, but her colour is a lot redder, and she's getting quite noisy lately with her clucking. No squats from anybody though, so I'm not going to go looking through the bushes for eggs that weren't laid in the coop or run.

My SBELs were in a group with a couple of cockerels so they never really squatted for people- and mine were (and still are, but not nearly as bad) flighty. If they'd squatted for me I might have had to take their temperatures!

Sounds like any day for that first egg! One was really good at going right to the nest box, but the other first laid in the corner of the coop, then decided the roost was a nice place, then returned to the corner- and finally, lays in the box.

 

[kie4]

Chuck heading into her 19th week sporting a decidedly pink (not red) comb:

Artificial light from 4am until sunrise. Dusk until 8pm.

Ranging from Dawn until Dusk every day.

 

[Shezadandy]

Chuck heading into her 19th week sporting a decidedly pink (not red) comb:



Artificial light from 4am until sunrise. Dusk until 8pm.



Ranging from Dawn until Dusk every day.

I've got 2 AM mixes that are RED, and I mean as red as they come- getting a bit personal with one, she looks like an egg should fall out of there any day. The other not so much... and those two are now 22 weeks. Sigh.

On the bright side, one of my Welsummer hens decided to go broody a couple days ago, so I've got 4 SBELxSBEL eggs under there. =)



My AM mixes:
Chip- check out that beard!


And Doodle: