4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[kimmi_b]

I know it will prob be a few more weeks yet but was wondering if anyone else took delivery around this time as I will be interested in when other chooks from the same batch start laying?

 

Combs & wattles still pink, Miss Pepperpot is much bigger than the Gingernut Rangers though - is this a breed difference or could it be age?

 

Appetite is massive but then again I am spoiling them with bread, warm milk & marmite, raisins, greens etc.

 

Any other treat tips you can give me? I purchased a treat ball from the local store but the gaps are quite big so I am unsure what to stuff it with.

[BarbaraJ]

sounds like your doing great just remember to keep treats till late afternoon so they get their pellets first and i don't think its advisable to give them dairy so water rather than milk.

[Christian]

Congratulations Kimmi!

 

Try stuffing the treat ball with raisins, shredded cabbage or sweetcorn.

 

Hope they lay soon

[Mutrix Farmers]

Hi Kimmi

 

from reading other posts about first eggs (and from my own recent experience), the general concensus is about 22 weeks. The combs get bigger and redder, and then they spend a lot of time crouching.

 

Mine only get treats when I get home from work after 5pm apart from greens which I hang in the run in the morning.

 

Enjoy!

[Abbey Road Girl]

Hi Kimmi,

 

My hens were delivered on the 17th, less than a week before yours and I got the first two eggs on the 28th, only ll days after they arrived. I think two hens are laying because of the two on the 28th and two again today (on the days in between there was only one egg).

 

Three of the hens have combs that are quite red, so I may have a three egg day very soon.

 

I really wasn't expecting so many so soon! Keep an eye out for the red combs.

 

I think that Pepperpots are big girls compared to the Gingernut Rangers, but both are supposed to lay six eggs a week.

 

On another thread Egluntine said to limit treats to encourage them to lay. In any case, save the treats until the afternoon so that they've filled up on the layers pellets or mash.

 

Hope you get an egg soon!

[BarbaraJ]

Lol mine all have bright red large combs and only 1 laying at 25weeks i'm getting worried the other 2 never will!! not even crouching yet!

[Abbey Road Girl]

Mine never crouched, Barbara, but maybe because I haven't yet let them free range (am afraid to do so on my own in case they all go helter skelter to the neighbours--will be having friends round to help out).

 

Getting eggs so soon does have a downside as I still have a half dozen M&S free range eggs to use up.

 

Must be very frustrating to wait so long, but I hope that when they get revved up and producing that it will all be worthwhile!

[Egluntyne]

I would cut back on the treats....they crowd out the more nutritious food which has been specially formulated to promote egg laying.

 

You will know that they are ready to lay when you see their combs and wattles develop and redden, and they start crouching.

 

Generally they lay within about 10 days of the onset of crouching.