Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[thedragonlady]

I hope Bella goes back like this after her molt

She will when she starts putting on her winter woolies !

 

[Binababy]

Hi I have a few questions that I'm not sure about and wanted to get some of talks thoughts on please I have my dads banny hen who is at least 5 years old but hasn't laid in about a year but to my knowledge have always pecked and we think has eaten her eggs, she's always been fed laying mash or pellets and or scratch feed until we got my lavender chicks and she's been eating chick starter feed. My questions are since she is in the own with the tired hens and rooster and they should start laying soon is will she teach them her bad habbit? Should I just go ahead and separate her from them? Also I was thinking that it may have been from my parents hearing from someone to crush eggshells from eggs we've cooked, to feed her when they were feeding her the scratch? She will probably peck their eggs?

 

[delisha]

I do not have egg eaters and I feed back all egg shells to my birds. But all situations are different. Your environment, where you live and how you feed and house your birds is a factor too. Most of my birds do test shell quality when they are broody and will peck the shells and decide what ones will make the best chicks. They toss out the damaged ones and keep only the best. They are all heavy breeds and know the shells must be hard to sustain weight and time of development without crushing a chick.

Some birds eat eggs and it has nothing to do with shells. Most do not if they are given a healthy diet, fresh air, sunshine, and room to roam. Some birds simply are egg eaters and make good soup. I imagine your 5 year old is done laying for the most part. My birds slow way down around that age and I usually butcher them at around 4 to 5 before any ill health take them, I refuse to allow my birds to die ill from old age. I do have a line that average normal laying is 7 years, but they are not Orpingtons.

If you have a chicken eating eggs, the rest will share in the wealth. Eggs are a good source of proteins and I have yet to have a chicken refuse them. I have even purposely broken eggs in the yard for the birds to enjoy if the egg is damaged in anyway. The hens will follow me when I gather eggs, hoping I break an egg for them, yet they do not break them..themselves.

 

[Binababy]

Thank you mrs delisha, she has fresh air all the time being outside and her coop has a roof and 4 wire sides and way lots room and a good sized box like shelter from rain and gets fed I believe healthy at least once a day if we willgot be gone all or most of theit day but we often feed them 2-3 times a day and lately have given them a wide variety of things like tomatoes pasta rice oats bird seed. But not my lavender chicks they are strictly on chick starter and a little dirt. I also think it could have been she used to only get fed the one thing at a time and got bored of it or maybe like you said she may just be an egg eater because I don't think she's ever tried to sit even when my dad had the banny roo with her before he died.. also I have a blue orpington I believe hen young but huge and really aggressive to my lavender chicks? I thought orpingtons were supposed to be very docile, my lavenders are .

 

[galanie]

I do not have egg eaters and I feed back all egg shells to my birds. But all situations are different. Your environment, where you live and how you feed and house your birds is a factor too. Most of my birds do test shell quality when they are broody and will peck the shells and decide what ones will make the best chicks. They toss out the damaged ones and keep only the best. They are all heavy breeds and know the shells must be hard to sustain weight and time of development without crushing a chick.

Some birds eat eggs and it has nothing to do with shells. Most do not if they are given a healthy diet, fresh air, sunshine, and room to roam. Some birds simply are egg eaters and make good soup. I imagine your 5 year old is done laying for the most part. My birds slow way down around that age and I usually butcher them at around 4 to 5 before any ill health take them, I refuse to allow my birds to die ill from old age. I do have a line that average normal laying is 7 years, but they are not Orpingtons.

If you have a chicken eating eggs, the rest will share in the wealth. Eggs are a good source of proteins and I have yet to have a chicken refuse them. I have even purposely broken eggs in the yard for the birds to enjoy if the egg is damaged in anyway. The hens will follow me when I gather eggs, hoping I break an egg for them, yet they do not break them..themselves.

Same here. Mine love them and follow me too hoping I'll give them one. But they never break them. I've put unbroken ones down to see what they do and they won't touch them.

 

[delisha]

Thank you mrs delisha, she has fresh air all the time being outside and her coop has a roof and 4 wire sides and way lots room and a good sized box like shelter from rain and gets fed I believe healthy at least once a day if we willgot be gone all or most of theit day but we often feed them 2-3 times a day and lately have given them a wide variety of things like tomatoes pasta rice oats bird seed. But not my lavender chicks they are strictly on chick starter and a little dirt. I also think it could have been she used to only get fed the one thing at a time and got bored of it or maybe like you said she may just be an egg eater because I don't think she's ever tried to sit even when my dad had the banny roo with her before he died.. also I have a blue orpington I believe hen young but huge and really aggressive to my lavender chicks? I thought orpingtons were supposed to be very docile, my lavenders are .

I am sure you take wonderful care of your birds.
Young chicks and juvies are not always nice to chicks younger than ..themselves. I have juvies that simply insist on usurping authority on young chicks every time they can. It is part of the pecking order. If your chicken is harming the chicks you might want to move her.

 

[ihavechickens]

I think my BO is getting tamer yay

 

[Blarneyeggs]

 

[alibra]

Gorgeous!!!!!!

 

[ihavechickens]

Gorgeous!!!!!!

X2