Margalot Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Hello, I have all Brahmas plus one Orpington. 3 of my older Brahmas are on a seriously long moult ( still loosing feathers) although we seem to be on the flight feathers now so I am hoping this is the final push for new growth. Question is when do they start to lay again? They were hatched in April 2010, first started laying Jan 2011, this is their first proper moult, can I expect the laying to start after Christmas? OH is not impressed with the egg shortage! every time I have to buy eggs I get the speech Not that it bothers me, after all eggs were just a bonus to me I had always wanted chickens, just for chickens. Oh and the sleeping in the nest box due to lack of feathers is getting a bit out of hand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 February/March seems to be the time they start up again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 You may be lucky and get some early starts but I'd say Feb/Mar is more likely as the days lengthen and they get more light. Its a massive effort for LF soft feather birds like brahma, cochin and orp to regrow all their feathers. My orps started and finished early this year but I can still see the odd feather shafts on their necks. In general in any flock, some birds are good layers and will regularly start early, whilst others are a bit slower on the uptake! Other factors which can affect the start include strain (ie breeding line); weather; illness; change in the coop or pecking order; severity of moult, and just pure luck You can artificially induce lay by using lights in the coop which some breeders of heavy birds like yours do use so they get early chicks which can mature in time for the big autumn shows, but most hobby keepers prefer a more natural laying cycle. I think you need to start preparing your OH for the worst; then if you do get early eggs you can impress upon him how extra-specially good your girls are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Some of mine start again at the end of January, but I've had eggs as early as the beginning of January before now. It's good for them to have the rest - that's why they are generally healthier and live longer than high producing hybrids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 As far as my bantams go, it is like this... Winter...Ooh, no, we can't lay any eggs, it's all cold and dark... Spring...Quick, lay some eggs. Aren't we clever girls! We've each laid three eggs! We are champion egg layers! Late Spring...I'm going to go BROODY, so I can't lay any eggs for weeks and weeks!!! Summer...I've laid three eggs and now I'm going to go BROODY again (repeat the broody cycle about five times) Autumn...I'm laying eggs, look, I've laid three eggs, aren't I clever...Oh dear, I'm moulting, I can't lay any eggs now as I need all my energy to make new feathers. A year in the life of a pure-breed bantam. I guess you don't have pure breed hens if you want a lot of eggs all year round, but they DO last longer than the hybrids and are not as stressed in the eggy department. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 As far as my bantams go, it is like this... Winter...Ooh, no, we can't lay any eggs, it's all cold and dark... Spring...Quick, lay some eggs. Aren't we clever girls! We've each laid three eggs! We are champion egg layers! Late Spring...I'm going to go BROODY, so I can't lay any eggs for weeks and weeks!!! Summer...I've laid three eggs and now I'm going to go BROODY again (repeat the broody cycle about five times) Autumn...I'm laying eggs, look, I've laid three eggs, aren't I clever...Oh dear, I'm moulting, I can't lay any eggs now as I need all my energy to make new feathers. A year in the life of a pure-breed bantam. I guess you don't have pure breed hens if you want a lot of eggs all year round, but they DO last longer than the hybrids and are not as stressed in the eggy department. Completely true although my two young red Silkies are both broody (hatched this year so no moult) Thankfully my ex batts, my younger hybrids, my leghorn x legbar and my young Wyandottes are laying but less than they were... I'm averaging 3-5 eggs ... Nearly had a fit that I had a bumper 7 egg day today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 As far as my bantams go, it is like this... Winter...Ooh, no, we can't lay any eggs, it's all cold and dark... Spring...Quick, lay some eggs. Aren't we clever girls! We've each laid three eggs! We are champion egg layers! Late Spring...I'm going to go BROODY, so I can't lay any eggs for weeks and weeks!!! Summer...I've laid three eggs and now I'm going to go BROODY again (repeat the broody cycle about five times) Autumn...I'm laying eggs, look, I've laid three eggs, aren't I clever...Oh dear, I'm moulting, I can't lay any eggs now as I need all my energy to make new feathers. A year in the life of a pure-breed bantam. I guess you don't have pure breed hens if you want a lot of eggs all year round, but they DO last longer than the hybrids and are not as stressed in the eggy department. even worse if they are Pekins! Mine were terribly broody this year and not just Pekins either the coop of shame was in constant use Although I do have one little Wyandotte who is still laying at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I had one egg today *sighs* I blag some from Jude instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I've been down to 1 a day for weeks and weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 What are eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Hello, I have all Brahmas plus one Orpington. 3 of my older Brahmas are on a seriously long moult ( still loosing feathers) although we seem to be on the flight feathers now so I am hoping this is the final push for new growth. Question is when do they start to lay again? They were hatched in April 2010, first started laying Jan 2011, this is their first proper moult, can I expect the laying to start after Christmas? OH is not impressed with the egg shortage! every time I have to buy eggs I get the speech Not that it bothers me, after all eggs were just a bonus to me I had always wanted chickens, just for chickens. Oh and the sleeping in the nest box due to lack of feathers is getting a bit out of hand! Your girls sound the same age as our remaining pure breeds, we think they were hatched around May 2010 as we got them at the beginning of September last year and were told they were 14wks old. We got our first egg in January this year and by the end of that month I think all 4 were laying. We lost one girl to Myco in August and quite soon after that the other 3 started to moult and although our Araucana was still laying, even she has stopped now. Mind you I'm not surprised as she looks like a pincushion right now, she has so many pinhead feathers on her. I am guessing all 3 have finished till next year now. I don't mind though as I agree that it's good for them to have a rest over Winter. Our hybrids are still laying pretty much every day, plus one of our ex batts still lays, so we are just getting by with eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I got 1 large and 2 bantam eggs today... And that's something of a record in recent days... Lots of my girls are moulting but the rest have given up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
