snaps Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 About three weeks ago we bought a POL 17 week old Bluebell. I'm a bit worried about her comb. It's small and grey with only a bit of red at one tip and no wattles to speak of apart from a bit of red where they seem to be emerging. Is this normal? I would have thought her comb would be much redder by now. The person I bought her from seemed to think it would turn red as she got closer to lay but I'm beginning to wonder if there's something wrong with her. She did have a setback in that one of our other hens died about ten days ago leaving us with just two at the moment. If there are any Bluebell owners out there I'd be so pleased to hear your experiences. This is the first one we've had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I'm sorry for your loss . Do you know if she had an illness? My bluebelle's comb and wattles are quite small compared to my other hybrids, and they are mainly black, with little red. Hybrids start laying at about 18-22 weeks, so she should start growing them soon. Another way of telling when they are coming into lay is when they start crouching. It is usually only a couple of days to the first egg after this first happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazzy73 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 2 of my 3 bluebells still have alot of grey on the combs even though they have been laying since the beginning of the summer (if not earlier),the only one that has a red comb is the boss Tikka compared to my light sussex their combs are small as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaps Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 That's really helpful, thank you, percy049 and Kazzy73, and reassuring. I was starting to wonder if she had some illness. And I didn't realise all hens crouch. I thought it was only if they had been running with cockerels. I think I came to that conclusion because the hens we've had who haven't crouched (Light Sussexes) hadn't been with cockerels and one that definitely had been with cockerels (a Black Rock) crouched a lot. But my experience is rather limited! It was our little Black Rock, Rocky, who died. She developed a respitory illness almost overnight and she had also, to our guilt and horror, lost quite a lot of weight. Our vet said that sometimes by the time owners notice something's wrong hens can be quite ill. We decided to have her put down as the most humane option although it was a tough decision. She was a dear little hen, very calm and inquisitive and easy to handle. I think she may have been more of a leader than we realised which might have put our Bluebell back a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracyann Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 If this helps, my bluebelle's comb is always tinged with blue. I've had her from POL in February and her comb is always tinged with blue... I also lost my bovans nera to a respiratory rate, much the same as you, but it hasn't put me off of keeping chooks, my numbers have increased from the original four to 12.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlisonH Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I got my bluebelle in June at about 17 weeks and her comb has only now really started to go red. She used to be the least friendly of my 2 chooks but since she came into lay in August she now is really cuddly. She crouches if you put your hand within 10 feet of her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 We have two Bluebelles, Lilac has a normal red comb and wattles while Bluebelle has a completely black comb and wattles. They both have very dark legs and they lay brown eggs and Bluebelles eggs are speckled. Ours are over two years old now and up until a couple of weeks ago when they started moulting, we have had an egg a day from both of them since they started laying, lovely girlies xx they are both friendly and Bluebelle is the perfect "top hen" she never bullies any of the other girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NFMC Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I have a bluebell and two warrens. My bluebell is definitely bottom hen - she barely gets a look in. Got her at about 20 weeks at the end of September and she has never laid. The other two have (one very regularly and the other so-so until she started moulting). Are they generally late starters with eggs? And what does 'crouching' mean? I don't think any of my chickens do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 My bluebelle started laying properly at about 23 weeks, but started laying ones with soft shells at about 22 weeks. Since it is winter they usually start laying later, but 28 weeks seem a bit late Maybe she is younger than what you thought when you got her. Crouching or squatting is where they 'squat' or 'crouch', and raise their wings. It is often accompanied by stamping. They would do it if you put your hand over them (or just going near them). They should be crouching if they are laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaps Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 Seems like Bluebells are as diverse as other chickens! Our Bluey is very shy. I can't get near her except at night time and even then she put up a bit of resistance when we clipped her wing recently. I don't feel at all confident that Bluey will lay very soon partly because we don't have another layer to encourage her (our cuckoo maran, Rosie, has definitely moulted and packed up for the winter - don't expect to see anything until the days lengthen) and the deteriorating weather. Somehow it seems counter intuitive to me for a hen to start laying in the winter even though I know hybrids are different. Also Bluey doesn't eat a great deal. We had a couple of Isa Browns a few years back and they laid and laid all through two winters until they died aged around two. But it was the early summer when they started. Thanks, everyone, for your responses. I think we've got a black combed girl and I'm relieved to find it's normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Also Bluey doesn't eat a great deal. ! My bluebelle's nickname is hoover! She eats everything in sight (and is by far the fattest of all our hens!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickichicky Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 My Bluebell was the greediest chicken I've ever had!... She kept getting sour crop despite numerous trips to the vets & courses of Baytrill, Probiotic yoghurt etc etc. The only thing I didn't do - which I have learned since was to give her white maggots. Sour crop was her undoing in the end She was a really sweet chicken though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 In addition to what has already been said (a bit of grey/blue tinge is is common, as is the combs being smaller than other hybrids of a same age), itmay be that she was a bit younger than you were told. Bluebelles are gorgeous. I lost mine earlier this year (she was 3 and a half ish), and I still miss her. Definitely top of my list f I go hybrid shopping again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennym Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 My bluebelle is enormous, but doesn't know it and is definitely bottom chook She was the last to start laying and had a grey/black comb for a long time - it's still not as red or as large as the others. She laid quite a few softies in her first weeks, and a few double-yolkers as well. I think she was probably a bit younger than the others when we got them all, as they were all the same size but Belle quickly outgrew Pippa & Lucy . Maybe the breeders/suppliers do it this way so they are the same size when they're introduced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 My bluebelle used to lay almost all double-yolkers too! She is 2nd in the pecking order, but the in our garden the pecking order goes in order of age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 yup, mine had a small comb until she was quite old. it's huge now and still blue/grey in parts. there's nothing wrong with mine, so it's presumably quite common. Your girl probably has a light coloured face at present - mine did. They tend to start off looking a bit odd but 'grow into' their faces/bodies eventually and they end up really pretty hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaps Posted November 25, 2011 Author Share Posted November 25, 2011 I chose our Bluebell from among seven or eight others and picked her because she seemed quite assertive and I thought it was worth having one who could hold her own against Rosie, our cuckoo maran who is a bit aggressive towards other hens. Certainly she took no time to settle in and wasn't fazed by Rosie driving her away - she just kept coming back. But "Ooops, word censored!"ody could call her friendly or much interested in humans so it's nice to know from you Bluebell experts that Bluebells can develop more approachable characters when they start laying. Here's hoping - both for a few eggs and a friendlier personality! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLilley50 Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hello I have 7 hens in my cube, one of which is a bluebell - the funniest and most interesting of all the girls! I got her just one month ago and she has started laying already. She makes the oddest sound! She looks just as you describe yours so as mine is happy and healthy and just laying Im guessing shes ok and hope yours is too!Buddha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigernatz Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 I’m thinking of getting 2 more chickens, I was either going to Get 2 speckled chickens or one speckled and one bluebell chicken. I have heard great things about speckled chickens being really friendly. I’m just not so sure if bluebells are very friendly. Could an experienced bluebell owner please tell me if they are a Friendly and docile breed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
