Sign of hens about to lay?

[KingCoopa]

So here’s my next question. Should I switch immediately to layer feed? Or wait until my second hen is laying? I’ve made oyster shell readily available to them.

 

[aart]

So here’s my next question. Should I switch immediately to layer feed? Or wait until my second hen is laying? I’ve made oyster shell readily available to them.

No, there's no rush.
Some folks never use layer feed....just supply oyster shell.
If they don't seem to be eating the shell, sprinkle some on top of their regular feed and/or sprinkle some scratch grain on top of the shell.


I like to feed a flock raiser/starter/grower/finisher type feed with 20% protein crumble full time to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat. I do grind up the crumbles (in the blender) for the chicks for the first week or so.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer daily. I adjust the amounts of other feeds to get the protein levels desired with varying situations.
Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container. I also regularly offer digestive granite grit in the appropriate size, throw it out on the ground with the scratch. http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf.

Animal protein (a freshly trapped mouse, a bit of canned mackerel, mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided once in while and during molting and/or if I see any feather eating.

 

[KingCoopa]

No, there's no rush.
Some folks never use layer feed....just supply oyster shell.
If they don't seem to be eating the shell, sprinkle some on top of their regular feed and/or sprinkle some scratch grain on top of the shell.


I like to feed a flock raiser/starter/grower/finisher type feed with 20% protein crumble full time to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat. I do grind up the crumbles (in the blender) for the chicks for the first week or so.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer daily. I adjust the amounts of other feeds to get the protein levels desired with varying situations.
Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container. I also regularly offer digestive granite grit in the appropriate size, throw it out on the ground with the scratch. http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf.

Animal protein (a freshly trapped mouse, a bit of canned mackerel, mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided once in while and during molting and/or if I see any feather eating.

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it!

 

[BreanneRN]

Congratulations on your 1st egg and wishing you many happy returns to the nesting box!

 

[Hopperkiller]

Hahaha! All in good fun with the wife! She thinks that my raising of the chickens is ridiculous, so she likes to give me a hard time. She's been nice enough to allow me to drop a bunch of $ on this whole thing. So that's cool! Thank for the reply!

Watch out! A wife will rag you on your time and money THEN before you know it she is calling them her chickens. Our flock has learned she will sneak them extra treats when im not looking. When we are both outside they playbboth sides of the fence.

 

[BreezyBre]

Hahaha! All in good fun with the wife! She thinks that my raising of the chickens is ridiculous, so she likes to give me a hard time. She's been nice enough to allow me to drop a bunch of $ on this whole thing. So that's cool! Thank for the reply!

I'm in the same boat with my girls and the opposite with my husband lol Dropped a bunch of money of quality breeds he's coming around to it but he still rolls his eyes at times lol Every morning I'm out hoping this is the day I find an egg ....no eggs yet lol

 

[Coop de Grass]

I have cameras in my coop. Yup! I'm totally obsessed. What I've observed is that together with the behaviors mentioned previously, squatting, red combs and wattles, my girls begin to explore the nestboxes repeatedly. It's like Goldilocks... this might be a good place, no, this one is better, no no, I think it's this one...

They repeat the visits to different nestboxes umpteen times a day... for about 2 weeks.
Congrats on your first egg!

 

[BreanneRN]

One of my barred cochin hens is stirring up the bedding in the hen house and making nest shaped areas... she is almost 5 months now, so maybe soon.... maybe I will put a nest box in there with her, she is in a grow out coop still.

 

[Zinjifrah]

I kept finding the shavings in the coop arranged into nests. I thought - well! Not the nesting boxes, but someone's contemplating something... then I caught the culprits in the act.

It's not my pullets. Not the EE's, not the Sebrights, not the Serama girl....

It's the Serama cockerels. All three of the older ones were in there very busily making little nests, squatting in them, clucking emphatically at the pullets, waddling in circles inside the 'nest' to fluff it up, turning to look at the pullets - who were supremely unimpressed, and don't appear to be near POL yet, clucking some more at them... Apparently, the Serama boys are much more concerned about eggs than I am.

 

[aart]

I kept finding the shavings in the coop arranged into nests. I thought - well! Not the nesting boxes, but someone's contemplating something... then I caught the culprits in the act.

It's not my pullets. Not the EE's, not the Sebrights, not the Serama girl....

It's the Serama cockerels. All three of the older ones were in there very busily making little nests, squatting in them, clucking emphatically at the pullets, waddling in circles inside the 'nest' to fluff it up, turning to look at the pullets - who were supremely unimpressed, and don't appear to be near POL yet, clucking some more at them... Apparently, the Serama boys are much more concerned about eggs than I am.

How old are they?