Sumatra Thread!

[flyingmonkeypoop]

My 'miniature largefowl' sumatra bantam hen is done molting and started laying yesterday! We are in the middle of a mini mud season right now so everything looks horrible but when it dries up some or snows more I'll snag some pics. Also the new rooster we got in September is looking amazing, the black cockerel that was a late bloomer is very cobby, he might just be a yard bird

 

[Henferno]

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Ooh, perfect time or year for those! Can't wait to see those (hopefully XD) pullets in the fall!

And... the chickies. Of course.

 

[Giddi-Up]

Hi - I was just wondering if anyone one of you Sumatra experts

- could give me some advise. I purchased 7 bantam sumatra's for my daughter for Christmas, we have had them home for almost 2 months, 1 have 3 black roosters, 2 black hens and a pair of blues. I have 2 hens and a rooster in a pen and the pair of blues another pen, and the other 2 roosters in a pen. I have daylight light bulbs on from 6 till 9 and they have good feed and fresh water and lots of loven

when the rooster wishes it, they get lettuce, and fruit. All we would like is some eggs

they have not laid an egg yet, is there a season for sumatra's or do they need something special. Any help would be great.

Thanks

 

[Henferno]

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Well, how old were they when you brought them home? Two months certainly isn't old enough to begin laying!

 

[Soli]

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Age is certainly something to consider, as is your weather. They may not lay as often, or at all, in the wintertime/colder weather. They also may tend to start laying later then production breeds.

 

[Giddi-Up]

They are just over a year old. I have them inside and downstairs in my bankbarn it nice and bright and its not freezing temps. I had them all in a bigger run - but the fighting was too much so that is why they are separated now and in small pens.

Thanks for you help

 

[Henferno]

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Could it be that they are molting? Or, possibly, egg-eating... I went through a bout of that last year. Never would have figures it out until I saw them fighting over one. *sigh*

 

[Giddi-Up]

Are you kidding me - Really

I have never seen any signs of a piece of egg shell any where and we are down at the barn all different times, only a couple of the roosters still had pins when I bought them, so I would think they should be done by now. Everyone else is laying or starting to that have come into age.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

These birds really just dont lay this time of year, and it's not good to try to force them too with lighting. They need a natural break especially the hens, they can get more less a calcium deficiency form laying year round.

Dont count on any til March, then plan on them being done mid fall if they lay that long.
These just arent production birds like Soli was saying, they dont produce like it either.

Just give 'em til spring and you'll be fine and have eggs running out your ears.
To be honest, it's a pain in the rear to brood chicks this time of year anyway, and I'm in south GA, if you are in a northern climate you will have an even tuffer time with it.

To check for egg eating, which I have had some breeds do. Put a egg ( even store bought if needed) in the pen, if it's gone tomorrow you know what the problem is.
The best way I have found to stop that is to cut 1/3 off of the top beak, yes it will bleed..cut it back to where it just starts too, if you look in the light good, you can see the inner part where it's blood filled. Cut it just past that point. This will usually stop them, and if you are lucky, by the time it grows back to where they have the egg cracker back, they will not do it any more... none I ever did it to have continued

 

[stonykill]

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My girls are laying just fine. No artificial light. It is mainly my younger girls who are laying a lot of eggs. The 7 and 8 month olds are starting to lay pretty good now. A lot, like with any chicken breed , has to do with the time of year they were born.

I've never had a Sumatra eat an egg. Other breeds. Yup, common problem.