The "old" brahma hens are on a roll!

[gritsar]

When my brahma hens turned three years old back in April, I deemed them retired. Retired meaning I will no longer depend on them for eggs to supply my customers. They are welcome to live out their retirement years just being chickens. Lay eggs or not, the brahma girls are my pets.

Recently the girls were made sick by improper care while we were gone on vacation. They stopped laying and some went into a forced molt. I've worked with them and all is well with my girls again.

A week or two ago they started laying again at a rate I consider acceptable for 3 year old (non-production) hens; usually 6 eggs a day.

Yesterday I only got one egg from them. No biggie. In the past I've noticed a cycle where about every three weeks there will be a day when one or sometimes none of them will lay. Everyone deserves a day off.

Today I got 11 eggs from the brahma girls. I guess they just wanted to remind me that they will always be my best girls.

 

[sourland]

How long will they lay before they go broody?

 

[bburn]

I think that was her warning that brodies were on the way~

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

My brahma girls have never gone broody and I don't expect them to start this late in the game.

I love the look on the face of one of my brahma girls, Chloe, every time a chick crosses her path. It's a real confused look....what the heck is THAT thing and where did it come from?!?

 

[sourland]

Never say never.

do a little dance

n sing a little song

walla

How the heck did that happen?

 

[ranchhand]

Little Goldie didn't go broody until she was 4-5 years old. Just sayin'.

 

[theoldchick]

Old Chicks Rule!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
HUSH!

 

[pgpoultry]

Crikey, my Brahma girls are always broody....2-3 clutches from each bird per year.

I always have one or more of them on eggs.....usually more...and they can cover a lot of eggs.

I have also found my Brahmas to lay for at least 5 years........but we don't have mains water..The water is faintly blue spring water. Now my theory is that the blueness is either copper or radioactivity

which may explain the extra-ordinary broodiness, size, egg-laying ability and maybe even the funny green eyes

of some of my mob.

I would have thought your girls should have some laying life left in them yet even if you have mains water.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I had to stop and think about the placement of their coop for a sec and which water source they are closest to; as that's the one I would get their water from. The brahma girls are on "city water". My other coop is closer to the well, so that's what they get.

I have a few with green eyes too.