Runaway train with pullet in the driving seat.

[Tired old Rooster]

Early years were just hens. Later years had Roos.

You mean chicks that hatched?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Doing my best to keep everything completely natural. No outside light, except my porch light if I hear something outside or my dog does and I go look. That hardly ever happens. They have always got access to scratch and layer feed, they also free range in a place that is Bugz-R-Us.

Sounds pretty good..

Possibly keep the "scratch" to a minimum, or only as a special treat for personal bonding or boredom busting (not more than 10% total daily intake).. as it's usually diminished in protein (around 8%) and amino acids.. as well as all other vitamins and minerals.. which are synthetically added into the "layer" feed.

Free range "bugs r us" sounds like the good life for chickens.. as it should be.

Could all of this be driven by her hormones, because she has major hots for the cockerel? Almost since he arrived, she has been coupled to him by the toe. They even leave the others all the time and wander off on their own.

Laying hormones are influenced by light plus age coupled with genetics and nutrition.. NO ROOSTER required..

Sounds like she does like him though. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[jpalmatier83]

You mean chicks that hatched?

No, I’ve never hatched my own.

Always farm store or local hatchers.

My first five years I had hens only.

Last 3 I’ve also kept a roo.

I’ve added pullets almost every year. It hasn’t really effected first year laying patterns whether or not there was a roo.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

Possibly keep the "scratch" to a minimum, or only as a special treat for personal bonding or boredom busting (not more than 10% total daily intake).. as it's usually diminished in protein (around 8%) and amino acids.. as well as all other vitamins and minerals.. which are synthetically added into the "layer" feed.

What exactly does this "scratch" you speek of contain? We have "mezcla" that has crushed corn, sunflower seeds and a few other seeds, plus a bit of layer pellets.

 

[biddie]

So, my seven month old pullet, started laying on the fourth of July. We are in the middle of winter, which if I am not mistaken, is a time when chooks slow down or stop laying. She averaged five a week for the first two weeks and she is picking up the pace. We are heading for one a day. Now her eggs are a bit on the small side, but perfect in every way. I am just worried she is going to burn herself out with this.

Will she slow it down once she matures? I don't want her to pop out 250 plus eggs in a year before the factory burns down.

She is a Plymouth Rock.

She won't burn herself out. Plymouth Rocks are good layers. When they are young they'll lay all winter as they get older they slow down. I actually had a Plymouth Rock that lived to be 8 yrs. Old (she didn't lay eggs anymore. but I liked her.)