The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Returned after the weekend to find both roosters looking good, so no fights to the death while I was gone. Getting home after dark, I miss any fighting at roost time, and only see everyone peacefully snoozing on the roosts. so far so good (what you don't know cant hurt you).

Now, these pullets are coming up on 25 weeks old and still not a single egg. I haven't ever started chicks as late as these, they werent hatched til end of May - so maybe maturing at the point of too little light during the day means they won't start til more daylight? I sure hope not.

I think this is the longest I've ever gone without a single egg from anyone. I actually had to buy eggs at the co-op!

In the past, spring chicks always started laying in nov or so....what do you think?

I know Aoxa answered your question already but I did want to let you know that last year my Partridge Rock girls who were born the previous May did start laying. It was close to Christmas before they did but I was happy regardless. The less light may delay their laying (i am guessing here) but they will lay.

I am still waiting on my BCM born in May to start laying. I noticed that I may have a new pullet egg that may be hers but I haven't been able to catch her in the nest box yet tho.

As much as I am for them taking a break in the winter I sure wish 2 would lay a day so I could keep my egg customers happy and yet still have eggs for me. With Christmas coming I need eggs for cookies. I had to tell my customers it will be a month or so before I can start giving them eggs again :/

 

[aoxa]

I know Aoxa answered your question already but I did want to let you know that last year my Partridge Rock girls who were born the previous May did start laying. It was close to Christmas before they did but I was happy regardless. The less light may delay their laying (i am guessing here) but they will lay.

I am still waiting on my BCM born in May to start laying. I noticed that I may have a new pullet egg that may be hers but I haven't been able to catch her in the nest box yet tho.

As much as I am for them taking a break in the winter I sure wish 2 would lay a day so I could keep my egg customers happy and yet still have eggs for me. With Christmas coming I need eggs for cookies. I had to tell my customers it will be a month or so before I can start giving them eggs again :/

My Pennies are about to start. I'll be swimming in eggs soon @_@

 

[theadvocate19]

Hello all just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. Have been following this thread silently for probably 2 weeks.We are new to farm style living. Our introduction began April 2nd as the local feed store was running a promo for "free". We got four chicks, 1 gold sex link, 1 new Hampshire red, 1 polish crested, and 1 Brown leghorn. As luck would have it, we got two more crested the next day. Probably a month later, I was hooked and added some bantam straight run, 1 got lost to a hawk, the other two, have since become our favorites (shhh don't tell the others)! They are a rooster old English game bantam, and a super sweet silver laced Cochin. The hawk ate sultan was replaced by another roo, this time a silkie. We rehomed the leghorn and the last two polish as they were all males and getting cocky. Well, I just couldn't keep away, so in June we added three more. This time a male sizzle (probably gonna rehome him) a serama, also possibly a cockerel, and another super sweet silkie, pretty sure she is a she. Well lastly, about one month ago, I ordered 2 pekin ducks, 2 auracauna 2americauna, 1 Mille Fleur, 1 Cochin, and 1 old English, plus 5 males/packing peanuts. Just figured I'd say hello. We are totally doing things au naturale! Some things we are currently into or I should say our chickens are into: composting and fermented feed. Thanks for all the great replies in this thread it's been a joy to read!

 

[lalaland]

Hello all just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. Have been following this thread silently for probably 2 weeks.We are new to farm style living. Our introduction began April 2nd as the local feed store was running a promo for "free". We got four chicks, 1 gold sex link, 1 new Hampshire red, 1 polish crested, and 1 Brown leghorn. As luck would have it, we got two more crested the next day. Probably a month later, I was hooked and added some bantam straight run, 1 got lost to a hawk, the other two, have since become our favorites (shhh don't tell the others)! They are a rooster old English game bantam, and a super sweet silver laced Cochin. The hawk ate sultan was replaced by another roo, this time a silkie. We rehomed the leghorn and the last two polish as they were all males and getting cocky. Well, I just couldn't keep away, so in June we added three more. This time a male sizzle (probably gonna rehome him) a serama, also possibly a cockerel, and another super sweet silkie, pretty sure she is a she. Well lastly, about one month ago, I ordered 2 pekin ducks, 2 auracauna 2americauna, 1 Mille Fleur, 1 Cochin, and 1 old English, plus 5 males/packing peanuts. Just figured I'd say hello. We are totally doing things au naturale! Some things we are currently into or I should say our chickens are into: composting and fermented feed. Thanks for all the great replies in this thread it's been a joy to read!

welcome! I see you have already mastered chicken math.
one thing this thread likes is pictures!

 

[aoxa]

This made me giggle

 

[lalaland]

Well the EEs are late layers, but the others should start any day. Icelandic: 20-22 weeks Sulmtaler: 6 months (so 24-26 weeks) Cream Legbar: 20-24 weeks. Easter Eggers (the weeks vary) 20-40 weeks.

you mean there is still hope? Just cleaned out the nest boxes and put fresh hay, and some nesting herbs in (mint and tansy). Unseasonably warm day, so I'm going to do a hay and feed run and get everything stocked up and ready to go for the winter. ran out of acv, the apple cider that I put a little mother into and put into the dark never formed a mother. definitely vinegary but ....

Edie, the bearded and muffed ameriwhatever, is huge. She is larger than my buff orp!

 

[armorfirelady]

This made me giggle

I think I am going to take a soup pot out & put it near the pop door and see if they get the hint.

 

[Scott H]

This made me giggle

LOL, I'll have to show this to Juanita, our SLW, who is WAAAY late to the dance. She was hatched in January and has not layed yet. Comb and wattles still just pink, not the bright red like the others.

 

[aoxa]

you mean there is still hope? Just cleaned out the nest boxes and put fresh hay, and some nesting herbs in (mint and tansy). Unseasonably warm day, so I'm going to do a hay and feed run and get everything stocked up and ready to go for the winter. ran out of acv, the apple cider that I put a little mother into and put into the dark never formed a mother. definitely vinegary but ....

Edie, the bearded and muffed ameriwhatever, is huge. She is larger than my buff orp!

There is still hope!

Post comb pictures if you get a chance. I love guessing who will be first. I'm quite good at it

I see two or three of my Pennies practising in our nest boxes.

 

[aaggjg]

My girls must have read the thread! I just let them out for breakfast and was shocked to see 4 eggs!!! My BlueCM has been acting like she wants to lay chasing other girls out of the box and noisy pacing but she just started molting a couple of weeks ago so I didn't expect to see a lovely dark egg for a long time!!! Not to mention her mites :-0 and 3 broodies started laying again!!! It was getting sad here 1 or 2 eggs a day if I was lucky. Who knew my silkies would be the most reliable?!!!