New hens not going into Eglu Go Up

[sadietoo]

I have two dark brahmas which were about 12 weeks old I think when I first got them last September. They are twins and inseparable and (I hope) growing into fine young ladies. However, one of them is now definitely a bit bigger than the other (I know they aren't really twins and so this can be expected) but considering they are the same age (as far as I am aware) should one still be "peeping" rather than chatting? . The other feeds well and forages well, but little Mabel (or is it Lucie..I really can't remember which one is which) feeds a bit more reluctantly ,forages a bit but will only eat teeny tiny little crumbs and things. "Please don't face me with a whole mealworm I couldn't possibly manage it all in one go" , and I'm probably panicking but I am just a bit worried about her..

I guess she is the bottom of the pecking order, but tbh there doesn't seem to be much politics happening in our Cube these days since Pansy left for some serious free-ranging in Chicken Heaven, so everyone seems really laid back. The problem is compounded of course at the moment by dark mornings and evenings so that everyone has already gone to bed or only just got up when I see them. I will try to weigh them both at the weekend and see if there is a noticable difference. Everyone is just on layers mash at the moment, but I'm wondering if I should offer some growers stuff to give her a bit of a boost.(Would it be silly to put them on ex-bat food for a boost for a month or so?) Sorry to ramble on so long...thanks for reading.

[Plum]

I've always kept mine on growers until they start to lay. I don't think this would be a reason for her small appetite though. I'm sorry I don't know the answer

[Olly]

Apart from her small appetite, is she otherwise behaving normally - running for treats, pecking, looking bright?

 

If they were twelve weeks old in September, they should be coming into lay - when this starts, their appetite increases enormously. Is it just that your other hen is a little bit more mature, and therefore eating more?

[BizzyMomma]

It could just be that she's always going to be smaller than her "twin"? When I was breeding the dogs there would occassionally be the odd puppy who was a "dinky" one? Nothing wrong with them, just that Momma Nature intended them to be smaller is all??

[sadietoo]

Apart from her small appetite, is she otherwise behaving normally - running for treats, pecking, looking bright?

 

If they were twelve weeks old in September, they should be coming into lay - when this starts, their appetite increases enormously. Is it just that your other hen is a little bit more mature, and therefore eating more?

 

She's a Brahma..so very very laid back...

 

She does come over for treats but she stands back a lot and even when offered something the others are going mad for, she doesn't plow in...I'm guessing that smaller does mean bottom ranking in this case...but even when the others have moved off she isn't really that keen on treats. For example this evening having put themselves to bed it wasn't quite pitch black when I came in from work, and I had to go down to the bottom of the garden to get logs, so all the security lights came on and Attie decided it was time to get up and shout for some corn. As I'm a well trained chicken mum and because it is sooo cold tonight, I sprinkled a handful of corn into the run. Lucie was down the ladder like a shot, but Mabel just sat their tweeting prettily and made no attempt to come down for corn... That's what made me post.

 

Plum I would have kept them on growers but I had two in lay and two not yet in lay....the lady at the chicken shop assured me they would all be fine on layers but I'm now beginning to wonder...I'll monitor and weigh and see if I can get her interested a bit more in treats. It could just be a confidence thing, because they haven't really spent that much time with me in the daylight recently (my focus was on Pansy for a whole month) so that other than clean them out and give them a bit of a check over for any signs of poorliness I haven't been encouraging them to come tome for treats etc.

 

 

PS thanks everyone for the help with the new feeder. I am now the proud owner of one of those Ascot ones with the Rain Hat and it is so much better than the grubs already. For one thing everyone can eat at the same time which wasn't happening before because even if you put two grubs in one clearly contained poison and the other was the only one which could be safely eaten from

[Plum]

Sorry I read it they were 12 weeks now. I'd do the same and put them all on layers at this stage.

 

My little orp is very healthy but only a smidgen bigger than my pekin she's like yours and always stands back and is last for treats except sweetcorn. Very irritating at times when I am trying to tempt them into the run and I have to round her up.

 

Like yours she's last out of the cube and saunters out ages after everyone else. Very placid and seems content with life.

 

Like BizzyMomma says just meant to be small or your others a boy

[sadietoo]

Like BizzyMomma says just meant to be small or your others a boy

 

 

[Chickabee]

I think you are doing everything you can. I tried mixing their food with cod liver oil which they seemed to really like. Also I've just given them a big bowl of warm porridge, they loved it. Both were recommendations from this site. I do have a silkie who is bottom of the pecking order she seems to eat much less than the others, but I've had her since she was 3 weeks old (last august). She's doing just fine

[Mum]

The "politics" can be oh so subtle and not always obvious to the human eye, but, nonetheless quite obvious to the girls involved.

 

I also have one hen who, in my eyes, is a reluctant forager; holds back when it comes to "treats". Despite this, she is growing as she should do and developing at her average rate. For that, I am thankful.

 

Consider this: do you remember when you were in the final year of Primary School? If you do, do you recall the huge variance between those who were "well developed for their age" vs "those who were UNDERdeveloped by comparison"? In chooks terms the same applies. 12 weeks in September = approx 28 weeks now?

 

When did you last worm them? Are they mite/lice free? Do you offer fresh greens in any form?

 

To be really honest, it is so difficult to monitor behaviour/eating patterns/pecking order politics when you only get to see them briefly in the morning and even more briefly at bedtime - that leaves a whole heap of hours inbetween where anything and everything goes If they appear "laid back" in the times you do see them, that suggests that there are no real, or disturbing issues occurring. It suggests, to me, that it is a developmental issue (or a gender one?).

 

Yes, do weigh them at the weekend, but do appreciate that is only one record. To make it a valid sample, you will need to perform that every weekend and build up a history of data for comparison purposes. It's a start

 

Hope it all works out positively for you and your girls xMx

[sadietoo]

Yes, do weigh them at the weekend, but do appreciate that is only one record. To make it a valid sample, you will need to perform that every weekend and build up a history of data for comparison purposes. It's a start

 

 

I really just thought I'd weigh them to get a comparison because it's quite possible I'm imagining the difference between their feeding habits and then just weigh Mabel regularly for a couple of weeks to make sure she isn't actually losing any weight...observing them over the weeked she is definitely a bit behind her sister in maturity. It's harder to tell with Brahma's of course because a) they mature later and b) they don't have big floppy combs that become more red as they become closer to lay, but certainly Lucie's face is redder than Mabel's.... They are due for a worming so I will start them on the flubenvet this weekend....

 

I would just like to add that I do so love my Brahmas because they are soooo completely chilled.......I'm sure they were both hippies in a previous life

[Plum]

You'll have a giggle trying to weigh them. Show us a pic of your lovely ladies then

[sadietoo]

Well Plum asked for photos and so here are a few..looking at these I don't think there is anything to worry about at all

 

Firstly the lovely Mabel

 

 

Then we have the inscrutable Lucie

 

Attie gets in on the action here...isn't she gorgeous...Lucie is still wearing her inscrutable face:lol:

 

Finally they all demonstrate how easy it is to eat altogether now they have a new feeder

[Plum]

I love brahmas expressions, those are gorgeous girls I want them. Attie is scrumptious as well.