The EE braggers thread!!!

[bruceha2000]

Did you put her on layer feed too early? It can really slow down the development rate if fed layer feed too soon.

My 2015 chicks started themselves on layer when they were about a month old. Ignored the chick feed in the brooder area and ate out of the community feeder.
7 girls, age at first egg:
EE: 23 weeks / 2 days
White Rock: 23/3
EE: 26/1
WR: 28/0
Black Australorp: 28/3
BA: 28/4
EE: 30/5

 

[duluthralphie]

My 2015 chicks started themselves on layer when they were about a month old. Ignored the chick feed in the brooder area and ate out of the community feeder.
7 girls, age at first egg:
EE: 23 weeks / 2 days
White Rock: 23/3
EE: 26/1
WR: 28/0
Black Australorp: 28/3
BA: 28/4
EE: 30/5

I try to keep them on higher protein starter for 10-12 weeks then they go onto layer mash way before they should start to lay, if it has delayed them I have not noticed it. either.

 

[junebuggena]

My 2015 chicks started themselves on layer when they were about a month old. Ignored the chick feed in the brooder area and ate out of the community feeder.
7 girls, age at first egg:
EE: 23 weeks / 2 days
White Rock: 23/3
EE: 26/1
WR: 28/0
Black Australorp: 28/3
BA: 28/4
EE: 30/5

Mine get flock raiser and are laying by 6 months. I've given hatch mates (full siblings, I bred and hatched myself) to others that started layer at 16 weeks. Their birds didn't start laying till they were over 8 months. The primary difference was the feed.

 

[bruceha2000]

It wasn't MY plan for them to eat layer so soon! They wanted to be just like the big girls I guess

The older girls (2012) got grower until the first one laid an egg at 20 weeks, 3 days. The slowest of the 12 was at 29 weeks, 6 days. The bird of the same breed that started earlier was at 24 weeks.

So it does look like my 2015 girls that started themselves on layer early did, in general, start laying later than the older birds that were raised on grower. Half of the earlier girls started sometime in week 23 where only 2 of the 7 2015 chicks started then. But only 1 of the 2015 girls started after 6 months and 2 of the 2012 girls started at 7 months +/-. But if you are raising chicks in an integrated flock, I don't know how you can feed them something different that the girls that are laying.

Interestingly, the last of the 2015 girls to lay is also the one that died of fatty liver disease at 15 months. She was an EE. I've lost 2 of the 5 EEs I have had, the other was taken by a fox 3 months shy of 2 years of age. The other older EE is on record as my best layer and she has never laid in the winter.

 

[bruceha2000]

Dang, it double posted

 

[summerb123]

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

It's been a very long time since I posted here, but I just had to share how the Easter-egger pullet I got this year turned out! Her name is Endymion. This is her as a chick:

I loved how she had this almost heart-shaped pattern on her head:

And now, such a looker!

I also got a true Ameraucana this year along with Endymion, but I don't think she's very high quality. She's blue, but she has little black flecks all over her. Her name is Isodel, Izzy for short:

No eggs from either of them, of course. Endymion started squatting more than a month ago and I thought she was going to start laying soon after that, but nope. Guess I'm in for a long wait.

 

[Catandherchicks]

It's been a very long time since I posted here, but I just had to share how the Easter-egger pullet I got this year turned out! Her name is Endymion. This is her as a chick:

I loved how she had this almost heart-shaped pattern on her head:

And now, such a looker!

I also got a true Ameraucana this year along with Endymion, but I don't think she's very high quality. She's blue, but she has little black flecks all over her. Her name is Isodel, Izzy for short:

No eggs from either of them, of course. Endymion started squatting more than a month ago and I thought she was going to start laying soon after that, but nope. Guess I'm in for a long wait.

Wowzers!!! You're right - Endymion is definitely a looker! Your blue is very pretty too.

 

[Robilyn81]

I'm so pleased with my two EEs, for weeks now the only eggs I have gotten have been blue. The other four brown layers are doing nothing but the EEs are trucking along laying in sub-zero temperatures like champs

 

[dolly85]

I'm so pleased with my two EEs, for weeks now the only eggs I have gotten have been blue. The other four brown layers are doing nothing but the EEs are trucking along laying in sub-zero temperatures like champs

Mine too! 2 blue eggs every day out of the three 1 year old hens. Nothing from the sex link. I've got 3 pol pullets who should be laying soon with two who might lay blue or green!