Wing It Ranch

[thistlewick]

I believe its because in OE lines they just use Easter Eggers, which are bred to be really prolific layers anyway, and cross them to a Maran.

Hatchery birds are insane layers - all my TSC birds hardly ever miss a day :O

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I think only 4 out of my 6 OEs are laying so I don't have a clear average yet. Today all 4 gave me an egg.

I track my eggs in the app Flockstar. Here's the egg count for June for my first OE layer. She layed her first egg June 8.
View attachment 4183559
And since I know you're also getting Easter Eggers. Here's how many eggs one of my EEs laid in June. She's a year and a half old.
View attachment 4183560

The Eggers are very good layers!

I've been using that app for about 5 years and love it!

 

[SJsChickies]

I believe its because in OE lines they just use Easter Eggers, which are bred to be really prolific layers anyway, and cross them to a Maran.

Hatchery birds are insane layers - all my TSC birds hardly ever miss a day :O

I got my red sexlinks from TSC and they lay insane

 

[WingItRanch]

My Ancona is broody...

Not sure what to do right now. I don't really want her sitting while the heat index is like 117. I'm worried it is way too hot and a determent to her health.

I tried moving her off. She will jump right off but shortly later makes her way back into the coop. She doesn't flatten like a pancake or screetch but she does make that ticking time bomb noise when she's off the nest. The problem is, I don't know if I trust her. She keeps switching boxes. And she'll be off the nest box for hours then remember and go back. Sometimes same box but sometimes another one.

What do y'all think? Broody jail or try to find some hatching eggs?

 

[WingItRanch]

I should mention that I tried putting her in the smaller pen alone to break her broodiness but she was so panicked and then wouldn't even go up into the little coop at dusk so I felt bad and let her go back to the main coop after only an hour.

 

[thistlewick]

Ehhh, I wouldn't 'break' broodiness, I think it's a horrible way to treat a chicken in my own opinion, personally. Go with your gut!

I live in NC too so have the same heat index -- it's even WORSE inside the hen house by 2-3 degrees, I have fans going though so air movement helps.

I have 2 broodies currently and they are totally fine.

If you let it run its course it takes 3 weeks - or let her hatch some babies if you want some!

 

[WingItRanch]

My gut says not to let her hatch. She's too all over the place. Switching boxes and sometimes roosting/sometimes staying in the nest box.

She's set up in the grow-out pen (Aka broody jail). I put her back in there early this morning. She seems super chill right now. Scratching for bugs, drinking water, etc. I gave her some frozen watermelon and she gobbled it up. I think she's enjoying her alone time. She can still see all the others. I think I'll leave her in there for a couple days and see if that snaps her out of her broodiness.

I am positive slipping chicks under her in 3 weeks would never work. If I go anywhere near her, she runs away and waits for me to leave before returning to the nest. I couldn't find hatching eggs that I wanted from anyone nearby.

 

[WingItRanch]

Well.... the Ancona now has a friend in the grow-out pen. My Special girl decided she wanted to sleep in the nest box (she never does that and her health is fine) so out of an abundance of caution, I put her in with the Ancona.

I've read that broodiness can be contagious!

I hope this little setup works. I don't have a dog crate and would rather not use one if I don't have to. Hopefully just removing their access to the nest will work.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I should mention that I tried putting her in the smaller pen alone to break her broodiness but she was so panicked and then wouldn't even go up into the little coop at dusk so I felt bad and let her go back to the main coop after only an hour.
View attachment 4185469

I felt the same way the first time I put a broody in jail. You'll see the panic lessen every day until you let her out. You've just got to remember, it's for her own good.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

My gut says not to let her hatch. She's too all over the place. Switching boxes and sometimes roosting/sometimes staying in the nest box.

She's set up in the grow-out pen (Aka broody jail). I put her back in there early this morning. She seems super chill right now. Scratching for bugs, drinking water, etc. I gave her some frozen watermelon and she gobbled it up. I think she's enjoying her alone time. She can still see all the others. I think I'll leave her in there for a couple days and see if that snaps her out of her broodiness.

I am positive slipping chicks under her in 3 weeks would never work. If I go anywhere near her, she runs away and waits for me to leave before returning to the nest. I couldn't find hatching eggs that I wanted from anyone nearby.

She probably isn't fully committed yet, if she was she wouldn't split when you come around.