Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[jellykelly]

You may have read last week that I brought 3 chickens - 1 of which I was unhappy with.

Today I am adding pictures and I'm looking for an eggspert to help me aging her.

 

Also, my orp was only 19 weeks (apparently) when I got her - so 20 weeks now, but I have received 2 eggs over the last two days that are different from the other girls eggs. Do you think that this egg could be the orps? If so, how old would you make her? The egg is the top one.

 

Pics on www.picturetrail.com/jellykellybelly1

 

in the named folder.

 

Thanks

[atsw]

While Orps are big birds (in some cases, very big!), their eggs are quite small, especially when they first come into lay. My girls laid eggs of around 50g - 60g when they started. Even today, aged almost exactly two years old, Anna's eggs are only around 62g and she is now a massive chicken.

 

The picture below is Anna's sister, Di. The picture was taken in June last year, she was 14 months old at the time. I know she's with her newly hatched chicks, but even so, you get some idea of the size these birds can get to!

 

I'd say your girl is around 20 weeks. Her comb is small and still quite pink. Egg production usually starts around 20 weeks, so that all fits. Does she squat down when you try to stroke her back - that's a sure sign she is either about to lay for the first time, or is already laying.

 

Andrew

[jellykelly]

Awww - Your orp is lovely with her Chicks. I've got pekins, cochins and the orp in the hope that one of them will go broody at some point.

 

Camilla doesn't crouch yet - but that could be that I've only had the week rather then her being in lay etc. Some of my exbatts don't crouch, yet I know they're laying!

 

So, I am to assume that the top egg was from Camilla - yey

 

Now just to work out how old Heather the cochin is!

[Daphne]

I'm very confused

 

First the chooks. Is the only picture of the orp the one in the house? If so I can't see enough to gauge her age. Heather the cochin is only a youngster, in that picture she looks like a grower (eg up to 16-18 weeks) but in your other pictures she looks older. Is there any chance of confusion when you were given their ages and its Heather who is 19 weeks?

 

Which ones are the possible egg layers? The orp and who else?

 

Onto the eggs. Orp eggs are usually the colour of the one on the right - what they call tinted which is pale brown to you and me. They don't lay white eggs which is what the one at the top seems to be? The eggs are small relative to the bird size - my biggest LF hen lays the smallest egg, its not much bigger than a bantam orp! Strain also plays a part - ie the breeding heritage. Exhibition birds tend to lay smaller eggs and fewer of them - breeders breed for size, fluff and feather not laying ability. And 2 of my jubilee hens lay large eggs - but I think thats because the jubilee has had less breeding for show and so they are closer to what orps were in the old days.

[jellykelly]

Thats the only good pic I have of Camilla. I tried this morning whilst getting pics of the black cochin, but could only catch her bum - and I'm sure you couldn't work out her age from that.

 

I am pretty sure that Camilla is around the 20 week mark. She is a nice large size with lovely red comb and wattles - so I think her age is correct.

It's the black cochin that has me confused. I thought her to be about 12 weeks - but I'm not an expert so could be way off. The white cochin is about 8 months.

 

Re, the egg. Its a very pale pink colour with tiny white little speckles on it. My gingers and exbatts have not laid any like it before and it's smaller then their usual ones.

[Snowy]

The black cochin in the picture looks very young still - too young to be laying as her comb is still undeveloped. Is that the one that is supposed to be 12 weeks old? If so, I'd say anything between 12 and 18 weeks. Definitely still a grower though. And yes the little pale egg does look like an orpie egg.

[atsw]

Awww - Your orp is lovely with her Chicks. I've got pekins, cochins and the orp in the hope that one of them will go broody at some point.

With that mix of breeds, it's almost a dead certainty you'll get a broody . As you saw from the picture I posted earlier, one my two Orps went broody last year. She raised 8 Partridge Pekins (4 girls, 4 boys), and two of the Pekin girls have gone broody this month!

 

Andrew