MaryHen Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 OK, I know I am being really impatient as my girls have only been with me for 1.5 days but I'm just wondering how long it will take them to lay? Is it also correct that their faces and combs go red when they are going into lay? I'll ring the breeder this morning and ask how old they are. An impatient Maryhen!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 any time from about 18 weeks old reddening combs and wattles are a good sign that they are thinking about laying plus crouching. day length can and does play apart through the closer it gets to the end of September the lesser the chance of some breeds laying but from about boxing day then the chance of them laying increases as the days get longer this only really applies from the midlands south through the farther north you go then the longer it takes for the days to get longer hybrids tend to come into lay quicker than pure breeds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 MaryHen I think you got hybrids so they should start to lay once they are old enough. They will get redder in the face and they may start to crouch when you approach them, they will think you are a cockeral but having said that quite a few of mine have never crouched. When I have bought hybrids I have enjoyed watching their faces as they have got redder, it just seems to add to the excitement Your own chooks eggs are well worth the wait If you are able to post pictures we can all have a guess when you might get eggs. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 They generally start laying at around 22 to 24 weeks. Point of Lay is a very vague and rather unhelpful term, which means 'any time now, but I am not committing myself'. Generally applied from around 18 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryHen Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 OK here is a picture of Grizelda yesterday - she is head of the pecking order!! https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-toVHB6qIkLg/U9TBgq8RaLI/AAAAAAAAAPI/CQsFDHPQkG0/w906-h677-no/2014+-+7 I'll try and get some close ups of the others to post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 She doesn't look ready to me yet. Her comb is rather small. Think you've got a good few weeks to wait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Also put your grub up a bit higher. You might find that the girls scratch the food all over the place otherwise. Is she a Daisybelle. I've got one of those. She laid through 2 winters and is still going strong. Lovely girl. Bet you can't stop watching them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryHen Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Hi Chickabee Yes she is a DaisyBelle, very inquisitive! They dont seem to be knocking the pellets on the floor but I'll try raising it up. I've got another feeder and water thingy too. They were really funny this morning - I poo picked and put some ground sanitiser and ambiose in the run which seemed to illicit dust bath behaviour in them - there was moss, ambiose and soil flying everywhere - they wont use the proper dust bath I made for them!! They ventured out of the run today when I was cleaning it into the fenced off 'free ranging' area. Yesterday they didnt like it but today they seem too; I've left the door open and they pootle out for a bit then go back in sit under the cude, then back out again. I'm sure they are plotting escape!! Going to bed was interesting last night too - I resisted the urge to step in and eventually they all went to bed. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/54tULfMgrBz84RPLinKs-3ZvotucbAgwcJgANrmUHR0=w159-h212-p-no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Looks like they've got a lovely life, but resist the urge to be too clean. They really don't need that sanitizing stuff too often. I probably do mine every 2 weeks. They are deep littered, so I don't take all the floor out. Their coop is kept nice and fresh, but the run is a bit more interesting. When it gets emptied it goes straight on the garden. They get lots of flora and forna to explore. Nice bits of veg and sunflower seeds and corn mixture thrown around. They just need to use their natural urge to scratch and find. Don't know why, but that keeps them happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryHen Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 thanks everyone for your replies. Chickabee - I think I am a bit paranoid about the run smelling in this heat and I dont want the neighbours to complain. It certainly was a bit 'amonia' yesterday but I think this was because of the caecal poo's - I'm gonna have to poo pick those!! I think I'll put some bark in the run when they have completely destroyed the grass....and they still wont use the manmade dust bath!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I didn't really get on with bark. It tends to hold moisture and get really smelly. I use aubiose or easibed. It's easier to poo pick too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
