Whiting True Blues

[Kung_pao]

My Whiting's have been laying well for two seasons now. Mostly large eggs and while not as calm as some others are not too flighty, except one, who is a bit standoffish. They just slowed down laying in the last week and look like a couple may be going into a molting. They have laid as well as most commercial layers, so far. I am satisfied with them, but I do have one who lays olive eggs instead of blue.

That’s great to know, I’m hope mine are as good as yours. How has your egg size been? Large eggs are definitely something I’ll breed for, not huge just a large egg.

 

[Kung_pao]

We just got our first Whiting True Blue egg. Birds were born end of April. So took them about 5 months to lay. The egg was much bluer than anything my Prairie Bluebells have produced. I hope it doesn't fade too much as it goes from pullet to regular size. 5 hens, 1 roo, only 2-3 of the hens have large red wattles and comb yet. All the blue layers I've had so far seem to have taken forever to lay. The Red Stars, and Ginger Broilers I got at the same time have been laying for at least a month.

That’s awesome! I can’t wait for my eggs!

 

[Toastedone]

My flock (sans leghorns) are supposed to be WTB, what i was told anyway... i thought (and still kind of do) that the guy was breeding olive eggers and just dumped everything that didnt hatch from an olive shell but they match the WTB pics and other that have them.. problem is two started laying last week.. one has a pink bloom with tiny sky blue freckles and the other lays a pale cream color.

Kept my one roo... want to get rid but too connected and hes pretty chill anyway..

cuckoo type whitings.

I call her Hennifer lol the comb kind of fudges her up with the WTB thing though

 

[Kung_pao]

My flock (sans leghorns) are supposed to be WTB, what i was told anyway... i thought (and still kind of do) that the guy was breeding olive eggers and just dumped everything that didnt hatch from an olive shell but they match the WTB pics and other that have them.. problem is two started laying last week.. one has a pink bloom with tiny sky blue freckles and the other lays a pale cream color.

Kept my one roo... want to get rid but too connected and hes pretty chill anyway..



I call her Hennifer lol the comb kind of fudges her up with the WTB thing though
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That’s a beautiful hen!

 

[Birdsonghill]

That’s great to know, I’m hope mine are as good as yours. How has your egg size been? Large eggs are definitely something I’ll breed for, not huge just a large egg.

They began with medium to large eggs and anything less than large has been unusual since maturity. An extra large egg does occur rarely. They have laid up till now very reliably and at a very good rate! Recently, for the first time, they have dropped off dramatically, I think it is the seasonal changing weather and a molt coming on. Some breeds I have raised, many slowed down laying dramatically or stop laying (mostly) in their third or fourth year of laying. I hope these girls keep it up!

 

[Kung_pao]

Look at these two pulley eggs! It’s about time lol.

 

[Kung_pao]

Look at these two pulley eggs! It’s about time lol.

Pullet lol

 

[RedwoodCoastChick]

All the blue layers I've had so far seem to have taken forever to lay.

Thank you so much for this observation! My WTB hasn't laid yet while the other same-age pullets in my small flock have been laying since August/early September. Even one of the 2 much-younger Easter Eggers has been laying light green eggs for over a week. (Her EE "sister" hasn't yet; I raised those 2 from hatchlings & they're 7-8 weeks younger than the others, including Martha the WTB.) I know the EE's the one laying green eggs as I've seen her in the nest box & found her egg immediately after she left. Martha shows zero interest in the nest boxes yet, no "squatting" and comb's still pinkish, not red. So I won't give up hope on Martha as a "non-performer" yet, thanks to your comment! (She's very pretty and very flighty.)

 

[Birdsonghill]

I have had a couple hens that did not lay until nearly a year old and go on to become good layers for years to come afterwards. That is not the norm but it happens. A couple have laid very early on as well and were never great layers. Just like children , all may be different in behavior and outcomes. I seldom give up in less than a year on a bird, except for severe deformity or illness that they likely will never recover from. A couple months or so, range is fairly typical between and even within breeds. Often, in a large brood, when a couple start laying it seems to spur the others on to lay and most start soon afterwards, just breed and environmental factors in regards to the timing likely. That is not always the case, however, and slow starters are common. Give them a chance if you can afford the feed.

 

[Birdsonghill]

I forgot to say in my previous statements that my WTB's were a bit slower to start than some others, but not dissimilar other breeds or individuals birds I have had over the years. This last brood that included WTB's laid about two to four weeks after my Welsummers and Orpingtons did in that brood. They seem to tend to be slow to start, judging from that experience. The Black Minorcas started right in the middle of those breeds, a week or two after the first two did and just before the WTB's. That was my first experience with WTB's, so the info is limited! I will get more of them because they offer variety for my eye and the popular blue eggs in abundance, this next spring likely.