Post Phoenix Pics Please

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
90% or better are from Toni Marie Astins lines actually, several from her came from David Rogers, and some of Cy's are in her stuff I'm sure.

most of the rest are directly from Cy's lines

Only have 5 birds that arent from one of their lines, a trio blue gold duckwings, and a pair of bb's, they came from faile (Cat) over on the onagadori site

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep I love them too.
Whatcha waiting for ...sounds like you need some.

 

[Celtic Hill]

I know i kinda disappeared! My eggs didnt hatch

But that's the chance you take with shipped eggs! Im going to look at the shows for a pair or trio of LF or Bantam I guess.

 

[Ravie]

Hi guys, I have a question about my Phoenix hens. I am new to the breed and have 3 hatchery hens. One of them was born in mid March and the other two were born in mid April.

The eldest hen has laid two eggs since August 22nd and the others don't lay at all yet. Maybe Phoenixes are slow to mature, but I've been told that they don't require special feed. They're eating Dumor layer pellets with 16% protein. They are also given leftover greens and meats from my kitchen on a near-daily basis. The girls are not overweight and are from different hatcheries. They don't appear to be molting. I have tried keeping them in a coop for a few weeks to see if they'd lay there and got absolutely nothing. Then I let them out to free-range thinking maybe they'd be "happier" and the extra foraging and insects might help. Still nothing.

I am very frustrated and unsure what the problem is. I have 45 other chickens (all different breeds) which are laying well!

 

[onagadori]

Quote:
Mine have cut way back, but due to molting.. I have found that increasing protein will make them lay better.....I actually think longtails do alot better on more protein...

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

same here, maybe a dozen eggs a week is all I'm getting, out of Lord knows how many hens.
I also feed them a little higher protein just to help with all the continued feather growth, and it does help during laying too.
But no, a plain jane phoenix needs no special diet.

I feel the only problem is they are just young birds. Honestly I dont care for every one telling folks they'll lay at 6 months or 8 months or whatever.
They may, BUT here's the thing, birds other than production breeds, dont lay year round, so when a bird reaches this miracle 6-8 month age, it's almost always in the period of the year when production is coming to an end anyway... so taken that into consideration, maybe a better way to word it is they become sexually mature at 6-8 months.

But in almost all cases, all my yearling hatch birds never lay til the following spring regardless of when they hatched. There is the odd exception, but they are never productive, just similar to what you are getting, 1 here and there.

Give em til spring, by then they should be laying like crazy.

Phoenix do lay very well from Feb- Oct here. Do keep in mind though, they arent a production breed, so if you get 100 eggs a year per hen, you did exceptionally well with them.

 

[Ravie]

Quote:
Thank-you! That is really helpful information. I have only had laying breeds in the past, so was thinking that they'd be similar. I feel a lot better now, but probably will increase protein for the girls. I am tempted to just let them free-range until Spring when I separate them out into coops for breeding.

Here's another question: I purchased a Phoenix rooster, kept him caged in the yard for 20 hours or so. Fed him, watered him, let him see the pretty ladies through the bars. When I let him out to range freely, he danced for the girls and seemed to enjoy foraging. Then he wandered off. Completely left. I have introduced a LOT of roosters to my homestead before and this has never happened. The only difference with this guy's situation is that the farm he came from is 2 miles away. Probably closer as the crow (chicken) flies. Do you guys think he went home? I already informed his prior owners to keep an eye out for him. I am feeling both stupid and surprised. I can't believe a rooster would just leave hens and food and wander off on his own. I have done this many times with no problems!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

no problem Ravie,
as with all, ask away with the questions, the only way to find the answer is to ask or search it.

I agree, usually a rooster wont leave like that, but it may have been a little early to let him out.
I keep most all my stuff penned and behind electric fence for critter protection, but on some of my oddball birds, I do free range a few just to enjoy watching them around the yard.
Most of these have been penned a min of 6 months or so growing up though an never leave.

I know with peafowl it's recommended that you give them a 1 month min pen time before letting them out.
Speaking of them, and your neighbor that he came from. That's a good chance that he'll show up there.
I had a india blue white eye pea cock show up a couple years ago. I have 40 penned peafowl here and as most know, THEY ARE LOUD in the breeding season.
This guy came from 7 miles away come to find out. Took a year but finally ran into his owner.

So my bet is he heard or 6th sensed his home and went back. I give my sister birds every now and then, she lives on the other side of our 150 acre farm. every time she lets one out, it'll be back here in a few hours.

 

[onagadori]

Have my white rooster up for sale if anyone is interested.. He is great quality out of my old white rooster.. So far a nonmolter. Hotta/Barger lines.. He is about a year and a half old..For sale in the birds for sale part of the forum. I also have a pair of bbreds if anyone is interested. Thanks.

 

[chrisf]

Very nice Amanda!...........those lines are all but extinct!...........................................chrisf