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AndyRoo

The deed is done! MWAHAHAHAHA!

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it depends on how long they have been laying at the sellers place but it can take a week to 10days for them to settle after the move. it can take a pullet a month or so to get into a steady laying routine with 12-14 hours day light this time of year it can take longer. I've got 6 that are between 19 (Friday)and 21 weeks(Today) old that basically I doubt will start to lay till Christmas/ boxing day at the earliest now as I can't see them laying before the end of the month

I'm just about getting 6 eggs a week only 2 of my mob laying

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Andy, for worming you can buy premedicated flubenvwt oellets online in 5,10 and 20kg sacks. You feed tjis and nothing else for 7 days. Nothing else is licensed, and you don't need to see your vet for it.

 

Check out the FAQ section for advice on that and also re spot on treatments for lice and mites

 

Yeah, that was the one I am on about. I've found a site that supplies it in the bag sizes you say, so I might buy some of that.

 

According to their site, in the UK it's a controlled medication so it's only meant to be dispensed by a vet, or a authorised specialist. If you order it online they should be asking you a few questions before dispatching it - which is what I'd read elsewhere.

 

How often do you worm them? Can you continue to eat the eggs laid while you're worming them?

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Andy, for worming you can buy premedicated flubenvwt oellets online in 5,10 and 20kg sacks. You feed tjis and nothing else for 7 days. Nothing else is licensed, and you don't need to see your vet for it.

 

Check out the FAQ section for advice on that and also re spot on treatments for lice and mites

 

Yeah, that was the one I am on about. I've found a site that supplies it in the bag sizes you say, so I might buy some of that.

 

According to their site, in the UK it's a controlled medication so it's only meant to be dispensed by a vet, or a authorised specialist. If you order it online they should be asking you a few questions before dispatching it - which is what I'd read elsewhere.

 

How often do you worm them? Can you continue to eat the eggs laid while you're worming them?

worm about twice a year I doubt yours need worming yet through the CLBs might still be a bit young as well

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Well, we got out first egg from the White Star:

 

IMG_0842df8f.jpg

 

I have to say I thought it'd be the bluebelle from the size of her. As I mentioned in a different thread, she seems to be sneezing a little and not laying... and I don't know whether to be concerned or not. Other than the sneeze, she seems totally fine.

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Haha, no dance. For a second I thought my partner was playing a trick on me and had put in an egg from the supermarket, but then I realised it was white! :pray:

 

Like I said, I am not sure what point to start worrying that the bluebelle isn't laying. If it was just the sneeze, I don't think I'd be worried at all TBH; I'm just not sure what to think if she's not laying either. Arguably I would have thought she'd be the one to lay first!

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Just because she's the biggest doesn't mean she will be first. Your White star looked well ready to lay. I would have bet she'd be first. Beantrees advice was excellent and always is. Might be worth a phone call to where you got them from to ask if all their birds are vaccinated. You don't need to say it's you that's calling you could say just out of interest.

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did the supplier give you any idea of their age? as that's one of if not the main gauge/yard stick as to when a pullet is likely to start to lay. point of lay/POL covers a multitude of sins generally regarded as 16-26 weeks old in Hybrids give or take a week or so but it can be as long as 30 weeks in pure breeds.

day length plays a big part in when they start to lay as doe's to some extent breeding Hybrids are bred to start breeding at about 18 weeks old can be 15-16 weeks under 'controlled' conditions in commercial set ups

I like mine to not to start before about 19 - 20 weeks I've had one start at barely 18 weeks and one or 2 at 30+ weeks and they were all poor layers not in numbers but quality

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I'm just checking with the place I bought them RE: vaccinations. I sent them an email asking if they are vaccinated and, if so, which vaccinations they receive.

 

I also had a friend round who keeps chickens and she said that hers occasionally do exactly what mine are doing and they're absolutely fine - so who knows. I'll be doing a full clean out of the cube tomorrow, so I'll make sure that I use a cleaning agent that kills all germs. I've also given them some tonic in their water to perk them up, hopefully that will help a little.

 

I have some ACV on order along with some of the pellets for worming. By the end of November they should be the healthiest hens in all the Kingdom! :lol:

 

They're all POL, which according to the girl I dealt with meant they were all between 15 - 17 weeks old; however, it was clear from the start that the bluebelle was older than there rest as she is by far the largest.

Admittedly I don't have much experience with how fast they grow, but I would have assumed based on the size of the others that she must be at least three weeks older than the rest (assuming they grow fast, older if they grow slow).

 

I guess I'll have to give it another week to see what is going on with her. I have a feeling that the Ranger may start laying any time now too. She seems quite perky!

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Bluebells can be rather large and White stars on the smaller side. I would say POL means 18 to 20 weeks, but as sjp says, with pure breeds this can be much later especially as we are coming into shorter days. Don't panic though your girlie might just need to settle a little.

 

Oh I'm not so worried. It was more the combination of the sneeze/cough (truth be told it could be either) and no eggs. But I suppose the whole thing could be stress. Our cats were a little 'poorly' when we moved house but they've perked up now.

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POL means that they will be between 16 and 20 weeks, pullets will come into lay 'around 20 weeks'; this varies between birds and also depends on the time of year. When there's less daylight, they will mature more slowly, and young pullets bought now may not lay before Christmas.

 

I haven't looked at your photos, but Bluebelles are usually bigger birds anyway.

 

Keep an eye on the sneezing; may just be down to the stress of the move and different surroundings, but just watch out for any other signs of them being unwell.

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can I ask why your going worming them so soon after getting them?

 

I won't do it straight away. Just getting the stuff in preparation.

 

Although as animals could catch worms at any point from being outside, I'm not sure it would matter. If they go outside they can eat and contract worms at a day old in theory?

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Keep an eye on the sneezing; may just be down to the stress of the move and different surroundings, but just watch out for any other signs of them being unwell.

 

Already doing it. But like I said: for every person I can find saying it shouldn't be happening, I can find a post saying that chickens just sneeze sometimes for various reasons... so I am never sure what to believe.

 

It's like WebMD: convince yourself you're dying! lol

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can I ask why your going worming them so soon after getting them?

 

I won't do it straight away. Just getting the stuff in preparation.

 

Although as animals could catch worms at any point from being outside, I'm not sure it would matter. If they go outside they can eat and contract worms at a day old in theory?

In theory yes but if poultry has been kept on your land at all or for a period of time then that risk is so what reduced it won't become an issue over night so to speak. have to admit mine haven't been wormed for about 12 months partly because I don't like the brand of pellets partly because I couldn't get the powder last time I wormed and my lot got through the bag in 4 days when they normally take 8-9 days with the same amount of their normal rations

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Congrats on becoming chickens daddies. Like the name. Have you eaten your egg yet?

 

Haha, thanks.

 

No, it's not been eaten yet. I think it'd be hard to split a single egg! :lol:

 

Hopefully we'll get one (and if we're really lucky, two) tomorrow. That'd be nice. Especially as it'll be the first day my partner has even seen them - just in time for the cube to need cleaning.

 

I came home earlier and found the neighbour leaning over our back fence and he turned around and said "Oh, you caught me! I was talking to your chickens!" For a second my heart stopped as I was really worried that they'd been really loud and disturbed them, but he said they weren't bothered at all. He said they hadn't even heard them from the house or the front half of the garden, but quite liked the clucking when he was chatting with them!

 

He joked about wanting some eggs, so I have told him once spring comes and we have more than we know what to do with, he is welcome to as many as he wants! The house on the other side to us have a mini orchard too, so I am thinking about asking if I can trade eggs for fruit.

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