Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Reina Rana]

Apparently, Lacey isn't getting enough attention as one of Fran's fav girls and The Boy's fav chicken. ...she decided she also needed some camera time...I guess she finally started laying, but I have never figured out what egg is hers...I think she's been pming with She Who Must Not Be Named and decided to stage an egg strike...only 6 chicken eggs and 3 duck eggs...it has been super hot and humid...and I think The Boy may be overfeeding without me there to supervise. I guess that could have something to do with it...but i still think she's been stirring the pot.

Big Red is still sitting tight and screeching away with her silly little NN mohawk all spiked up. I put a plastic baggy over the new cast and went to check on her. She was rearranging her peek-a-boo eggs....I just thought about something. ..will the hijacked ducklings be ok with the chicks if they hatch?

 

[SullyD]

RR-Beautiful girl! What breed is she? Love the markings!

Cheeka-Mylee is so cute! Love your pictures and especially the surprise one at the end!

Lindz-adorable chickies! Sorry about the one you lost. I am really enjoying the broody momma, it sure beats the heck out of constantly watching over them!

MC- how did your garden make out? Did you lose anything with the cold?


Question: What age do the BR's start laying? Do they start around 16 weeks or do they go later? Mine will be 16 weeks tomorrow, someone needs to start laying around here! I am lucky if I get one egg a day!

 

[cheeka]

Sully, my 2 BR's didn't lay until about 27 weeks...

RR, it's anyone's guess how the Broody will take to what hatches... I've heard of many chickens happily raising different breeds of birds... but I've also heard of broodies pecking them to death and eating them...

got 9 Eggs today, they're hanging in there!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

RR-Beautiful girl! What breed is she? Love the markings!

Cheeka-Mylee is so cute! Love your pictures and especially the surprise one at the end!

Lindz-adorable chickies! Sorry about the one you lost. I am really enjoying the broody momma, it sure beats the heck out of constantly watching over them!

MC- how did your garden make out? Did you lose anything with the cold?


Question: What age do the BR's start laying? Do they start around 16 weeks or do they go later? Mine will be 16 weeks tomorrow, someone needs to start laying around here! I am lucky if I get one egg a day!

Some BR's will lay four times a year, eat four times as much, and are four times more trouble. No names

 

[okallthis4eggs]

FIVE

FIVE......Today We Laid FIVE Eggs.

 

[SullyD]

To those of you who live in the southern states, do your chickens lay better with the cooler temps even though the days are shorter? It has been in the 90's here for months, and MUGGY. I hear that it starts to break in October. (I just moved here last November). Our nights don't get below the mid 70's right now and the chickens always have their mouths open, panting. I am hoping when the weather starts to cool to the 70's during the day, they will be more comfortable and lay better

I am still so new to the chicken stuff, I have no idea what to expect! Such a learning curve. I did figure out the chicken math part pretty easy!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

To those of you who live in the southern states, do your chickens lay better with the cooler temps even though the days are shorter? It has been in the 90's here for months, and MUGGY. I hear that it starts to break in October. (I just moved here last November). Our nights don't get below the mid 70's right now and the chickens always have their mouths open, panting. I am hoping when the weather starts to cool to the 70's during the day, they will be more comfortable and lay better

I am still so new to the chicken stuff, I have no idea what to expect! Such a learning curve. I did figure out the chicken math part pretty easy!

Personally I think other factors besides the weather play as much of a role as anything. The age of the birds in your flock and if they are in their prime. Stress, Chickens overcrowded or neglected would lay less. Good and plentiful feed and fresh water has to help. But probably the #1 reason they don't lay is a shortage of PIE.

 

[SullyD]

OK-Maybe they don't like my pie! I put out 5 bowls of pie each morning. Even those that are not laying get some! They get watermelon, ramen noodles (thanks Cheeka), FF, scratch, sometimes dead and sometimes alive meal worms, various scraps of bread or cereal, and some type of greens like Kale or turnip greens. Whatever is on sale. The bowls are empty by the end of the day as well as their feeders. I must have too many BR's and they are corrupting the rest of the flock!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Sully, do you think they are getting enough protein? I know low protein levels will cause a production reduction.

Since some of mine started molting, I have just started supplementing with a bit of dry cat food with fish meal protein at 33% every other day. Their regular pellets are 16%, but that gets cut down from the extras and pie and especially the apples that are falling.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

OK-Maybe they don't like my pie! I put out 5 bowls of pie each morning. Even those that are not laying get some! They get watermelon, ramen noodles (thanks Cheeka), FF, scratch, sometimes dead and sometimes alive meal worms, various scraps of bread or cereal, and some type of greens like Kale or turnip greens. Whatever is on sale. The bowls are empty by the end of the day as well as their feeders. I must have too many BR's and they are corrupting the rest of the flock!

Not getting eggs......the bowls of pie and feeders are empty at the end of the day.....too many BR's.....I think you solved your own mystery.