Oyster shell question

[Driley62]

Pictures of your girls? They may just be curious, I had a few chicks pecking at the oyster shells, but they havent been back since and they definitely wont be laying for a while.

I got as good of pictures I could. This is all but one of my newbies(that one is a he not a she) I basically had to stay in one spot for them to come to me to get photos.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I take it you're an "experimental breeder"? Lol I mean that in the nicest way possible lol.

Nope. That implies a deliberateness on my part regarding the pairings. I have a Culling Project, deliberately removing outcomes that don't fit my needs. Given my management of my birds, its impractical to try to confine and limit the breeding when I desire that they free range acres.

 

[cherrynberry]

I got as good of pictures I could. This is all but one of my newbies(that one is a he not a she) I basically had to stay in one spot for them to come to me to get photos.

Not close yet...I would give them a while.

 

[Driley62]

Nope. That implies a deliberateness on my part regarding the pairings. I have a Culling Project, deliberately removing outcomes that don't fit my needs. Given my management of my birds, its impractical to try to confine and limit the breeding when I desire that they free range acres.

Gotcha. Myself I don't mind the idea of barnyard Mixes. With the predator pressure in my area and enthusiast's also in the area if there's more birds than I can handle if I have hens that can go broody. I'm sure I can rehome them. Since they're barnyard Mixes I'd typically give them away or at most take a buck or two(still less than broilers sold in my area). But they're taken as a straight run nothing more. I now have a broody for the 3rd time this year and I'll keep what comes from this clutch(6 eggs) and cull cockerels if I can't rehome them because of hen to roo ratio. It'd be awesome if all 6 came out to be pullets but not likely!

 

[Driley62]

Not close yet...I would give them a while.

I figured as much I just found it funny that they were at the oyster shell seemingly 2 or 3 days in a row for a short time at least.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Gotcha. Myself I don't mind the idea of barnyard Mixes. With the predator pressure in my area and enthusiast's also in the area if there's more birds than I can handle if I have hens that can go broody. I'm sure I can rehome them. Since they're barnyard Mixes I'd typically give them away or at most take a buck or two(still less than broilers sold in my area). But they're taken as a straight run nothing more. I now have a broody for the 3rd time this year and I'll keep what comes from this clutch(6 eggs) and cull cockerels if I can't rehome them because of hen to roo ratio. It'd be awesome if all 6 came out to be pullets but not likely!

Yes, its barnyard mixes I'm incubating (12 every three weeks) as well, with an end goal in mind, and "predator pressure" elping the process along, since I'm looking for a bird well suited to free range on my property, and property like it.

My broodies, sadly, keep trying to brood golf balls, not eggs - and don't stick too it long enough to incubate a clutch anyways.

 

[Driley62]

Nope. That implies a deliberateness on my part regarding the pairings. I have a Culling Project, deliberately removing outcomes that don't fit my needs. Given my management of my birds, its impractical to try to confine and limit the breeding when I desire that they free range acres.

I myself am curious of the outcome of the combinations! This was a rooster born from a white leghorn hen and RIR roo I rehomed earlier this year from when one of my hens went broody earlier this year. I honestly love the outcome of this dude!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I myself am curious of the outcome of the combinations! This was a rooster born from a white leghorn hen and RIR roo I rehomed earlier this year from when one of my hens went broody earlier this year. I honestly love the outcome of this dude!

much more color than I got out of the offspring of my dominant white girl (a CX, if you'd beleive it!) - all her kids were white with a little black leakage here and there. Looked more like spots on a dalmation than a pattern on a chicken.

 

[Driley62]

much more color than I got out of the offspring of my dominant white girl (a CX, if you'd beleive it!) - all her kids were white with a little black leakage here and there. Looked more like spots on a dalmation than a pattern on a chicken.

Here is a hen from the same clutch. Its an older photo and she hasn't changed at all(can't find more recent picture). I have two white leghorns and this is the hen out of the two. Pretty much a single dalmatian spot so I get what you mean. But it is surprising you .a aged to get a CX to live long enough to lay eggs! You still have her around?

 

[GC-Raptor]

Pullets do get a craving for calcium before laying.
I put out calcium at 17 weeks old with my seven Barred Rocks.
They started eating it like candy for for 3 days. They went through about 3 cups before slowing way down.
They started to lay between 20 and 23 weeks.
I only got a couple of thin shelled eggs from them and I never gave them Layers feed, just All-Flock, Flock Raiser or Non-Medicated Starter-Grower feed.
They were my second Flock.
With my third Flock, 5 ISA Browns I put out Oyster Shells at 15 weeks old and they consumed but didn't go crazy for it. They started to lay between 17 and 22 weeks. I know, I thought I had a dud.
Four were laying by 19 weeks. I just about gave up on her.
So now I offer Oyster Shells at 15 weeks old.
My 8 youngest girls are 12.5 weeks old,

and I'll put out a container of Shells for them at 15 weeks.
I keep two Flocks each with their own coop and pen.
As for starting to lay, swollen red combs wattles, squatting, and fidgety nervous behavior, checking nest boxes or scratching around in a dark corner of the coop. GC