Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Wishing4Wings]

Wow W4W those are great pics! Did you take the chickens with you?

No chickens but we did take the boys!

Four of us stuffed in a cabin was a little too cozy sometimes, but the whole cruise was really better than I was expecting. (And that's saying something for a hermit like me.)


Here are some pics of the baby Seramas.
These 5 were weaned off by the hen before we got back from the trip.

2 cockerels, 3 pullets, one silkied in the center.

They stick together!

Their mama won't let them near her! She went broody right away.

This mama hung on to her 3 a bit longer, but they are on their own now too.

One of the 3 is a tiny silkied cockerel.

The biggest of the 3 I though would be a cockerel, but Junior is a pullet. The other pullet is tiny, but still bigger than the black silkied cockerel.



This mama still lets her chick snuggle, but maybe that's because it's an only child.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

sounds awesome! We went whale watching when we went to the SF area a few years ago. It was super fun and we didn't even see as many whales as you did!

We were in Juneau, Alaska for the whale watching. They take you to an area that is a historic whale feeding ground. Most the whales off the coast here near SF are migrating, so you only get to see them moving through the area. But it's still cool!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Nope, not a predator or parasite problem. No game cam. Just older birds in extreme heat.

Just curious about how old your birds are and what breeds. Hatchery stock?

My layer flock is mostly hatchery chicks, all different breeds, and I am pretty disappointed in how many quit laying far earlier than I expected. I thought if I kept them healthy they would keep squeezing out an egg once in a while, but it seems nature/genetics is stronger than nurture. My 2 non-hatchery Ameraucanas, who still lay, keep going broody too!

So out of 11 layers, I am down to about 4 eggs per day. That's a lot of freeloaders! I think, when the time comes, I will replace them with breeder quality (hopefully non-broody) pullets. The only hatchery chicks I would get again are EEs. Robust birds that lay well. And they're purty.

 

[mortie]

And then, this happened.


Wilson attempts to get some of Shadow's prize.


NO!


If you look closely, you can see that she is shaking it in the pic, it's
wrapped totally around her beak!


And she runs off to eat her prize in peace.

 

[Scrambles55]

And then, this happened.


Wilson attempts to get some of Shadow's prize.


NO!


If you look closely, you can see that she is shaking it in the pic, it's
wrapped totally around her beak!


And she runs off to eat her prize in peace.

The little raptor has quite the prize, Mortie!! Mine have eaten mice also.

 

[Scrambles55]

@cheeka Now I have my own group of seven. Si and little roo have gone to a new and wonderful sounding home. Lots of land and horses.

TWO......

 

[newchickmomma4]

W4W, my ladies are 2 years and 4 months. 1 black sexlink and 2 silver laced wyandottes. Yes, they are hatchery. We are their 2nd owner though. We got them a few months ago and they came to us very "spoiled". They had previously been in a climate controlled coop, with light and music 24/7. This is their first experience with the real heat of central CA and it is entirely possible that they have already laid their lifetime of eggs. I kind of doubt it though, I think that they are just stressed by the heat, and we built them a new open air (open on 3 sides during summer, 2 sides during winter) coop that is much larger than what they had before. If they are done, they are done. We have 4 almost POL BSL pullets that will be producing here in the next 4-8 weeks, and my goal for next year is to get the flock to 10 and maintain 10. But that will depend on pending city ordinances.

 

[newchickmomma4]

Just curious about how old your birds are and what breeds.  Hatchery stock? 

My layer flock is mostly hatchery chicks, all different breeds, and I am pretty disappointed in how many quit laying far earlier than I expected.  I thought if I kept them healthy they would keep squeezing out an egg once in a while, but it seems nature/genetics is stronger than nurture.  My 2 non-hatchery Ameraucanas, who still lay, keep going broody too!     So out of 11 layers, I am down to about 4 eggs per day.  That's a lot of freeloaders!  I think, when the time comes, I will replace them with breeder quality (hopefully non-broody) pullets.  The only hatchery chicks I would get again are EEs.  Robust birds that lay well.  And they're purty.

W4W, my ladies are 2 years and 4 months. 1 black sexlink and 2 silver laced wyandottes. Yes, they are hatchery. We are their 2nd owner though. We got them a few months ago and they came to us very "spoiled". They had previously been in a climate controlled coop, with light and music 24/7. This is their first experience with the real heat of central CA and it is entirely possible that they have already laid their lifetime of eggs. I kind of doubt it though, I think that they are just stressed by the heat, and we built them a new open air (open on 3 sides during summer, 2 sides during winter) coop that is much larger than what they had before. If they are done, they are done. We have 4 almost POL BSL pullets that will be producing here in the next 4-8 weeks, and my goal for next year is to get the flock to 10 and maintain 10. But that will depend on pending city ordinances.

 

[cheeka]

awesome photos W4W - the trip looked fabulous and your flock is so beautiful!

mortie - hate the snow pic, my heart goes out to you... we had hail during two of the thunderstorms, as destructive as that is, I'd rather have that over snow.
the rodent sequence was terrific! I love it when they catch them - they do better than my cats! but to be fair... Min's 18.5, Ollie is 12 and Hershey is a spaz.

I have 16 Eggs in the basket, and Esther had yolk on her head, so I know there was more, judging by the mess in 3 separate nests in the apple coop... I bet at least 3 more. my numbers are down too. heat is rough. my flock does not have parasites or worms. there are predators of course, but not in their space... I've always checked out poops and since finding a few mites on Peach at the end of her brood, everyone was checked, found no more, but dusted the heck out of everyone and changed out every speck of bedding. nightly checks since have shown no more, but I'm still going to check for a few more days.

chickies forayed further from the pen today with both Mamas keeping a diligent watch - Red and Henry tried to come over to say hi and they were run off by Sillie Soo Gossamer. pretty funny...

as for me, I'm whooped. 3 more days of doubles plus helping the new girl sort. I'm getting used to the longer day, but still... sure miss the easy peasy days when I could be home by 1:30...

 

[Wishing4Wings]

W4W, my ladies are 2 years and 4 months. 1 black sexlink and 2 silver laced wyandottes. Yes, they are hatchery. We are their 2nd owner though. We got them a few months ago and they came to us very "spoiled". They had previously been in a climate controlled coop, with light and music 24/7. This is their first experience with the real heat of central CA and it is entirely possible that they have already laid their lifetime of eggs. I kind of doubt it though, I think that they are just stressed by the heat, and we built them a new open air (open on 3 sides during summer, 2 sides during winter) coop that is much larger than what they had before. If they are done, they are done. We have 4 almost POL BSL pullets that will be producing here in the next 4-8 weeks, and my goal for next year is to get the flock to 10 and maintain 10. But that will depend on pending city ordinances.

Your older three are about the same age as most of my layer flock. Hatchery buff orp quit laying midway through her second season and the leghorn has quit completely as of last winter- like a switch just got turned off. Australorp keeps going broody

so not many eggs from her. My SLW has never been a great layer, but I think she still contributes 2 or 3 a week. I think as they get older, environmental factors like heat have a bigger impact and it seems to take them longer to start back up after a molt or a broody stint.

10 is a good number. I was planning on having 8, got 10 pullet chicks, rehomed the surprise cockerel, and replaced him with 2 Ameraucana pullets (because I couldn't add a singleton to my mob). So 11 for me. Then we got the Seramas for my boy and built a second coop for bantams. And to hatch out more, we added 2 bantam cochins and a Silkie (the Floofs). So total of 6 plus 9 chicks= 15 serama + the 3 Floofs in the bantam coop. Unfortunately, the serama rooster has not accepted the Floofs as part of his flock. He chases them around, but is not hurtful. The cochins are so sweet, kind of stupid sweet, if you know what I mean

, so I am in the Materials-Collection phase of building a third coop! It will be the Floof Coop!

When I do get to the point of replacing my layer flock (when they die, I guess) I'm going to do it in stages so the ages are staggered and we'll always have enough eggs (with family nearby, I supply 4 households). Keep us posted about how the BSL do in the heat. I only have one gold sexlink, and she does very poorly in the heat, and we are no where near as hot as you are! She also lays thin shells or soft eggs, which I have been trying to correct with no consistent success, so although she lays eggs, we rarely get them before they are broken.