mostin Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I got hens last August and one is a light sussex who obviously stopped laying over the winter. When do pure breeds tend to start laying again? She crouched for me again today and yesterday but her comb is still not as red as it was. Anybody elses girls started up again yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurmurf Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Hi Elaine! Willow and Anya are laying at the moment (started last week, as you know) - but I don't know if Cream legbars and Orps are the types that lay in the winter anyway. I hope she starts laying again soon for you! I do love the bosomy look of a sussex! Very Dolly Parton-esque! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 My light sussex laid until her moult in mid-December and I am expecting her to start any day soon - last year she started early Feb. I have been looking at Dorkings and they are not suposed to mature until 2 yrs old and then live on until 7 yrs plus! Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 I do love the bosomy look of a sussex! Very Dolly Parton-esque! She is my bustiest gal, some people say built like a tank, but I prefer to use the term statuesque . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 My light sussex laid until her moult in mid-December and I am expecting her to start any day soon - last year she started early Feb. I have been looking at Dorkings and they are not suposed to mature until 2 yrs old and then live on until 7 yrs plus! Tracy Thanks TAJ, Lilley layed until late Nov so it would be if she was about to start again soon as her moult is over now. She looks clean for the first time in ages . I've been reading about you looking for Dorkings. I hope you find some, it would be lovely to have some that rare and different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 My light sussex laid until her moult in mid-December and I am expecting her to start any day soon - last year she started early Feb. I have been looking at Dorkings and they are not suposed to mature until 2 yrs old and then live on until 7 yrs plus! Tracy Thanks TAJ, Lilley layed until late Nov so it would be if she was about to start again soon as her moult is over now. She looks clean for the first time in ages . I've been reading about you looking for Dorkings. I hope you find some, it would be lovely to have some that rare and different. Well I am now on a waiting list for a Dorking and have the breed club info - only 100 members and they have 350 Silver-Grey Dorkings recorded in the UK - when you think of 14,000 hens in a poultry shed it seems an awfully lower number. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frew Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I got 4 chickens last September, a Cream Legbar, a Buff Orpington, a Pepperpot and an Gingernut. The Cream Legbar came into lay first and has laid right through the winter. The Pepperpot came into lay next, and has also laid through the winter. The Gingernut finally came into lay 19 weeks after we got her, two days ago. The Buff Orp still hasn't laid and isn't crouching when we approach either. I await the Spring with interest! The two that have laid thoughout the winter have produced between 3 and 5 eggs a week each. My latest problem is that Joan, my Cream Legbar, has taken to laying during the night, on the bars, and then the egg gets trodden on and broken, before I can get out there at 7.30 to open up. In the last week this has happened 4 out of 5 times. Very irritating - any ideas? Apologies if I should have posted this second bit to another thread. Hennie Frew Miss Joan Hunter Dunne - Cream Legbar Audrey Glossop - Pepperpot Myfanwy - Gingernut Ranger ?? Biddy Pumpkin - Buff Orpington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haltonshappyhens Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 My cream legbar started laying a couple of weeks ago.. at least she laid 3 eggs then stopped then laid a softie and then stopped and today laid a beautiful blue perfectly formed egg... on the other hand our Silver Campine who is the same age isn't crouching and isn't showing any signs of ever laying anything... I hope she does though because I can't wait to have an egg box with a brown egg (black rock) blue egg (cream legbar) white egg (silver campine).. oh it will be so exciting..... eeek!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Well, Molly my Cream Legbar has started crouching for me so she must be coming back into lay soon! Spice, (Barnevelder) doesn't show any signs of coming back into lay just yet though, but when she came into lay last year it was a couple of weeks after Molly anyway. I think the heavier the breed the longer you have to wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibby69 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 My two Brahmas have been laying for about 3 weeks now, they'd stopped over winter but are laying pretty regularly now they've started back up again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Mine are the opposite way round to ubereglu! Though this is their first laying year, so don't know if they count. Chive (barnevelder) is our first layer, beginning last Friday. Coriander (cream legbar) has had her comb double in size in a week, so we're expecting her to start any day (though not crouching at all). As for the other two, Cinnamon (buff orp) has recently found her voice, so she'll probably be next. Chilli (light sussex) has been moulting instead (OH has always had his suspicions about her age). Ho hum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 We got our Light Sussex in August 2007 and she started laying in October, she laid all of last winter and stopped in November last year. She is still losing a few feathers and her comb is quite small, so I think that she will be a while before she starts again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Its been very varied for me...I've had a Cream Legbar lay at 24 weeks, and another not till 35 weeks. I have 2 Wyandottes hatched last April (I think...I lose track, lol) that haven't laid yet although one is crouching now........and I had a Speckled Sussex who didnt lay till a year, laid 2 eggs then had a bad prolapse and got put to sleep . I'd say the average for a pure breed is about 28 weeks. (edit...just checked my previous posts, the Dottes hatched on 19th April, which makes them about 40 weeks old!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 thanks for all the advice and updates. No eggs from my light sussex yet but she is still crouching all the time now and is definitely friendlier than she has been all winter. Fingers crossed, I'll keep you posted when we get our first spring egg from her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMitch Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 My girls are all back laying again now except one welsummer who has never laid. I have been very lucky as my Old English pheasant fowls have continued to lay throughout the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 I'm pretty sure Lilly layed her 1st egg of the spring time yesterday . I can't be 100% as there were only 2 eggs in the nestbox not 3 but it was such a pale egg, nearly white, just like Lillys were before she stopped laying and the othere 2's eggs are never that pale. It must have been hers. What a time for her to pick to start again , with all this snow. No wonder I've not had another from her yet. Fingers crossed that tomorrow might be my 1st 3 egg day of 2009 though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 my cream legbar waited until today..at 36 weeks to lay...and the others just started in december and january....all pure breeds... dont give up hope... !! My two RIR crouched the cream legbar didnt..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 I have only one of my pure breeds laying at the moment. Delia laid her first egg of the year a few days ago and is laying every other day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Lilly the light sussex is laying evey other day now , I had forgotten how bootiful those pale eggs were. She is all friendly and cuddly again too, I missed having my friendly girl over the winter . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I'm still waiting for Spice, (the barnevelder) to comeback into lay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 My latest problem is that Joan, my Cream Legbar, has taken to laying during the night, on the bars, and then the egg gets trodden on and broken, before I can get out there at 7.30 to open up. In the last week this has happened 4 out of 5 times. Very irritating - any ideas? quote] What about buying a cube and putting her sleep in the nest box and blocking off the port hole into the cube? I couldn't think of a better reason to get one!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
