silkies @5 moinths old laying up a storm.

[magsrags]

Are my silkies an oddity? 5 months old and I get eggs nearly every day from 2 of them since the week of christmas. It is FREEZING out and they still lay. No artificial light is ever supplied.... no heat....just good food and warm on freezing mornings. Lots of kitchen scraps and greens.
Now my "only" bantam polish hen began laying today! She is 7 months old and right on target I guess?

What am I doing right? Can I bottle it and sell it?

I've never raised chickens before so this really came as a big surprise for me that they began this early. I am thankful; for sure.

 

[Southernbelle]

Good for you! I have 10 Silkie girls all hatched on the same day - some started laying at 5 months and others took until 8 months. What you really need to watch for is broodiness! My early layers were also early brooders, even in these freezing cold!

 

[lichick28]

Wow that is young isnt it. Mine didnt lay until they were 7months old.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Man, I wish mine start at 5 months. They are 4.5 months now. What type of feed are you giving them?

 

[heyeddah]

My five plus month silkie has yet to lay, and my two other Americauna and Buff Orp have been laying for a few weeks. They were all born around the same time. They were laying well until the snow came and then we were sleeping in over vacation, but started up again when we went back to our school schedual of waking up at 6 am and letting them out again. We do not run lights or heat here in CT.
Another post here says he has a one year plus silkie that has not layed or crowed???
Go figure???

 

[magsrags]

Quote:
Simple Blue Seal grower feed (pellets). Now today I began serving laying feed by Blue seal (pellets).

I toss in some Blue seal Scratch morning and suppertime when it's really cold out. Otherwise just as a treat mid afternoon.

Otherwise I am currently supplying them with all my kitchen scraps ....warm oatmeal/raisons/milk/olive oil/brown rice on bitter cold mornings.

I got 3 eggs in 1 day from 2 birds when I started that mixture.
They simply

must be happy hens.

I do talk to them at least 3X a day and love them much on top of all that. Maybe it is a magical elixer.
I've only got 2 little coops so thay get a lot of attention with me working at home.