Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

Those black sexlinks are soo reliable as layers. I am getting a light blue egg every day ( I have two "Pennsylvania blacks") but only 1-3 brown eggs from the other 8 girls in my flock--I think my SLW hasn't started to lay yet and my welsummer hasn't had an egg in months and months...
I think I would like a really really BLUE egg in my basket though.

That is great to hear!!

I love to get feedback that they are doing well.

The few sexlinks I have are laying better than the others in the laying flock now also. I decided last year to keep back fewer of the California Greys to make the black sexlinks and grow out more Cream Legbars. It's hard to know the right balance. I only have 7 CG pullets total and only 1 laying so far (she is with my only CG roo making more CG's, so no black sexlinks until the others start laying). The Legbars seem to be great layers also, a while back a customer said he was getting 3 eggs a day from 4 CCL pullets. I think the hybridization helps some. I wonder how a black sexlink from a CCL pullet and Black Am would lay . . . might try that this year. They eggs will probably be more saturated blue color, perhaps with the turquoise tinge of the black ams.

I have found the dark egg layers and the purebred ams are more seasonal in their laying than the Cali Greys and Sexlinks. It's not that I don't get some eggs, yesterday I got 6 Welbar eggs (from a pen with about 30 pullets). Same day, I got 6 eggs from the pen of 7 Black Ameraucanas, so it's far from a rule, more of a feeling about how they are laying. I really should be keeping better records . . .

 

[OneMountainAcres]

She died while I was at work. I had to help her out of the shell (bad sign) and she hatched a day later than the others (another bad sign). I guess it was not meant to be. The lavender chick is struggling with splayed legs and will prob not make it either, but the rest are doing well.

Got the first eggs from my Lavender Am pullets this week. Several were frozen solid, but a few seem ok. I hope they start laying as well as the blacks, yesterday I got 6 eggs from 7 black pullets. I love those black ams. They are tame and pretty.

I also found 3 eggs in the duck pen (Welsh Harlequins). 2 are pretty dirty, I should prob just eat them. I'm not sure if hatching ducklings is such a good idea this early in the season.

I'm sorry that you lost her I guess it happens sometimes though. I hope your lavender straightens up and pulls through for you.

Helping them hatch is always such a gamble but sometimes, it's exactly what they need. My last hatch, we had that power outage the day before and I ended up losing 2 showgirls and having to help the two that were left. It was really weird though. I knew they had pipped internally and it had been a while but they weren't pipping through the shell. I pipped it for them and but still had major blood vessels. I checked on them every 20 minutes and I swear, those blood vessels were gone and they were hatched (with help) within an hour. I think maybe the sudden fresh air kicked everything in to gear for them. I honestly don't think that they would've hatched at all without the help. Skittles and Sylvia are doing well now (I need to get some pictures of them up).

My lavender ameraucanas are starting the think about laying too.I saw one checking out the nests yesterday. I've been getting a few blue eggs a day lately but I'm pretty sure that they're mostly from my legbar girls. Why do the ameraucanas take so long to start laying? Those girls were hatched last spring/early summer!

I'm apps to hatch a few ducklings, just because I haven't done it yet. I'm loving my muscovies so far. They are definitely messy in the brooder though :/ Not so much outside lol

 

[dheltzel]

I'm sorry that you lost her

I guess it happens sometimes though. I hope your lavender straightens up and pulls through for you.

Helping them hatch is always such a gamble but sometimes, it's exactly what they need. My last hatch, we had that power outage the day before and I ended up losing 2 showgirls and having to help the two that were left. It was really weird though. I knew they had pipped internally and it had been a while but they weren't pipping through the shell. I pipped it for them and but still had major blood vessels. I checked on them every 20 minutes and I swear, those blood vessels were gone and they were hatched (with help) within an hour. I think maybe the sudden fresh air kicked everything in to gear for them. I honestly don't think that they would've hatched at all without the help. Skittles and Sylvia are doing well now (I need to get some pictures of them up).

My lavender ameraucanas are starting the think about laying too.I saw one checking out the nests yesterday. I've been getting a few blue eggs a day lately but I'm pretty sure that they're mostly from my legbar girls. Why do the ameraucanas take so long to start laying? Those girls were hatched last spring/early summer!

I'm apps to hatch a few ducklings, just because I haven't done it yet. I'm loving my muscovies so far. They are definitely messy in the brooder though

Not so much outside lol

My "theory" is that breeds/individuals that come into lay early also "burn out" early, but the late bloomers are in it for the long haul and may lay well for years longer than the high production breeds that start to lay at 17 weeks. I've never tested that theory, but it gives me some comfort to think of it that way and be more patient with the late layers.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

My "theory" is that breeds/individuals that come into lay early also "burn out" early, but the late bloomers are in it for the long haul and may lay well for years longer than the high production breeds that start to lay at 17 weeks. I've never tested that theory,  but it gives me some comfort to think of it that way and be more patient with the late layers. 

I guess that's a good possibility. Though, my best layer still is my 3 year old production girl from my very first chicks lol

 

[dheltzel]

I guess that's a good possibility. Though, my best layer still is my 3 year old production girl from my very first chicks lol

Maybe she has something to prove -- that all those "fancy schmancy" young pullets are no substitute for her experience and wisdom. I feel that way about work sometimes. Give her my best.

 

[BullChick]

I guess that's a good possibility. Though, my best layer still is my 3 year old production girl from my very first chicks lol

I am glad she is even alive! As hurt as I was that my production red dropped dead suddenly, I knew I was not alone. Others that had similar aged girls were seeing the same thing around the same time (and others have reported the same before and since). Then again, they may have dropped dead because they are so poorly breeded.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I am glad she is even alive! As hurt as I was that my production red dropped dead suddenly, I knew I was not alone. Others that had similar aged girls were seeing the same thing around the same time (and others have reported the same before and since). Then again, they may have dropped dead because they are so poorly breeded.

Aww, that's awful! How old was she when that happened? I've only had 2 production girls. Daffodil is still here going strong and even went broody and raised a baby. Her sister Ariel is also still good, living out her life with an older lady that just wanted a couple older hens to keep the abandoned rooster she found company.

 

[BullChick]

She was about two.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Today's eggs. Does anyone else find that the yolks are not as yellow right now? I assume it's from less fresh young grass available.

 

[BullChick]

Very nice! Yes, it's the lack of fresh vegetation.