Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[CALNICK]

our girls are pure breeds and we think that they are over 24weeks, we were told when we purchased them that they were 10 weeks old, however people who have seen them say that they are younger.

 

We are getting worried and concerned, we have put a dummy egg in the one nesting box, but all they do is make a mess in there with poo.

 

Any advice will be gratefully recieved.

 

Thank you

 

Calnick

[stoice]

Pure breeds generally stop laying in the winter months when the hours of daylight shorten. I think I'm right in saying that although they may be old enough to lay, they may not start now until spring. I only have hybrids, they lay all year so I'm not 100%. Egluntine will know for deffo. She knows pretty much everything chook related.

[Daphne]

Stoice is right! We have PB girls around the same age as yours and I'm not expecting to see eggs now before the spring. Although we did have some young polands who were about 6 months old this time last year who laid the odd egg around Nov/Dec. I think the moral in general is 'although they can, they probably won't' - in any case, its all perfectly normal and nothing to worry about, although possibly something to be frustrated about!

[helenmb]

I have a Silver Sussex who is the same age as my hybrid Amber and Bluebelle, they hybrids have just started laying at about 20 weeks, not every day and the odd softie. I am not expecting Esme to lay for quite sometime, she is less developed Comb and Wattle wise compared to the others and also unless they are in a very sunny position during the winter PBs tend to lay very little.

 

I did run a post about this a little while ago and had a reply that it would be at least 25 weeks plus so I wouldn't worry for quite sometime yet.