My barred rocks have started laying!!!

chicken_queen_tam

In the Brooder
10 Years
Jul 30, 2009
33
0
32
Mt. Nebo WV
Hi All,
I haven't been on the forum for a good while due to a flare up of RA and taking care of the critters. The barred rocks AKA( the lady bugs) which I had purchased 25 of from mypetchicken.com the 1st of Aug. 09 finally started laying last week. As cold and snowy as the weather has been here in WV since Christmas I figured I wouldn't get any eggs until spring. They are small and only getting 1 or 2 a day but at least they are on their way to becoming hens!!! I still haven't decided if I like the barred rocks that well or not. They are awful flighty. Any time that I walk into the hen house they start jumping and flapping around like you are trying to catch them for the stew pot. So I don't know whats up with that? I didn't think the barred rocks were supposed to be that way. There is one hen that squats in front of me when I do the feeding. To be picked up.
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My husband has been helping me take care of them since I have been having trouble , and he didn't know what to think when she squatted in front of him. He thought she was sick. heheheh.
I have been searching the McMurray catalog to see what breeds I want to get this spring. Luckily dear hubby said he would help me take care of them if I needed him to. Or else I probably wouldn't be able to get any more.
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I am considering 5 to 7 of each of the following: buff orps,turkens,light brahmas,araucana/americana,standard blue cochins, and partridge cochins. Does anyone see anything wrong with this mix??? If so please let me know. They would all be pullets except for the blue cochins. You can only order str. run.
Also have a tip to share. My father-in-law who lives in southern IN was having trouble getting his pullets to start laying. So he called McMurray hatchery and they told him to start using the quick chick in their water. And he said within a week and a half they started laying. So maybe that helped them to get started.
Hope all are making it thru this awful winter we are having this year.
Tammy
 
I'm sorry to hear you are having problems with RA. I have PSA, which is very similar, so I understand. Hope you feel better soon.
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I am surprised to hear your barred rocks are flighty. I have 10 that started laying a few months ago, and they are very friendly. They run up to the door to greet me when I come to feed them or gather eggs. I love this breed!

Good luck with your future babies!
 
Congrats on your BR's laying.. They are 24 weeks now? I have BR's that will be 17 weeks on Monday so I know eggs will be coming soon.. At least I hope.. lol... As far as them being "flighty", I have 5 production reds and 6 BR's and I call my BR's my "trouble makers".. My production reds will generally stay in the area that I want them in but the little black and white buggers are all over the place.. They LOVE to go everywhere they aren't supposed to go... Although they are the friendliest of all my babies...

Goddess
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