Niederrheiner Thread! All Colors!

[Jadenrosesmom]

Where are you located and do you suppl artificial light? I don't have a Niederrheiner (YET) but my 10 girls are still on winter break...

I'm in eastern Washington my girls started to lay on Christmas! I am supplementing light this year to hopefully get my pullets laying before spring. I just have a 40watt bulb on a timer come on at 3am goes off at noon. I am also feeding cayenne pepper which I dunno off coincidence or not but within days of adding the pepper they all began developing combs and getting much redder.

 

[Jadenrosesmom]

I only have 4 pullets and a hen along with my 3 Roos. The eggs were never fertile. I have been collecting about 3 eggs every two days from the pullets. I had a few in the incubator but it got to cold so I doubt they hatch. I just purchased a large cabinet incubator and loaded it about a third full of a few Neids, a few Buff Orpingtons, several Ayam Cemani and a boat load of Swedish Flowering Hens. My Nieds lay the fewest eggs.

Ok. The breeder I got the nieders from was bragging about their laying but of my pullets that are laying they seem to be by far the most infrequent. I get about an egg a day from my SLW and my Brahma and my FBCM lays 2 days in a row takes off the third day then lays the next two etc consistently. My barred rocks haven't laid yet but I have 2 with developed combs ands waddles that started squatting so any day! Woohoo

 

[Vorksigan]

When I said the eggs weeent fertile I was talking about my Hen. The pullets have eggs in the incubator.

 

[lakones]

I have 2 about 8 mths old. When they first started laying it was hit or miss but now they lay 5 of 7 days.

 

[Vorksigan]

I have 2 about 8 mths old. When they first started laying it was hit or miss but now they lay 5 of 7 days.

That is really good. Please keep us updated.

 

[AUChickenGal]

Well, there will be no adult pictures of my beautiful Bella. I came home from work last night and found her dead and decapitated on the coop floor. I think she had just started laying, too. I wish I had been able to get a weight on her prior to disposing of the carcass; she must have been 10+ pounds.

 

[Vorksigan]

Sorry to hear that

 

[Lelanae]

Well, there will be no adult pictures of my beautiful Bella. I came home from work last night and found her dead and decapitated on the coop floor. I think she had just started laying, too. I wish I had been able to get a weight on her prior to disposing of the carcass; she must have been 10+ pounds.

Oh, I am so sorry! Was she your only Niederrheiner?

 

[AUChickenGal]

Oh, I am so sorry! Was she your only Niederrheiner?

The only one. I had an EE pullet go broody last summer and ordered half a dozen hatching eggs of "whatever can get here quickly and cheaply" from My Pet Chicken. She was one of three chicks (along with an OE pullet and a mystery barred cockerel out of a blue egg) who hatched. I soon realized that I got a real bargain on her!

 

[Vorksigan]

Anyone having luck Hatching Chicks right now?