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flair

no eggs

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I have had my 2 chucks for 8 weeks now and no eggs :( . Both seem healthy enough but they do seem to spend a lot of time in their eglu in the day??? Should I lock them out or not. Does any body have any suggestions or is it just the time of year?

Any suggestions gratefully received

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I've had my 3 for about 8 weeks too. One started to lay - laid 10 eggs - then stopped. The other 2 never started - not old enough I suppose.

 

The lack of daylight doesn't help although if you have pure breeds they may not lay at all over the winter. Hybrids are supposed to lay right through (although if they haven't started by now I don't know if they will :? )

 

I leave my eglu open all day - they sometimes pop in and out although no sign of laying.

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Do you mean never, or just for the winter.

 

Sorry if I'm being dim Flair, but I'm not sure what you're asking :? . Do you mean purebreeds stopping laying?

 

A good way to ask a question which relates to a previous post is to use the "quote" facility. Find the post you want to quote, click on "quote" at the top right, then put your point underneath. You can remove bits of the quote as you require, just make sure you've got [ ] at the beginning and [/ ] at the end. You can use "preview" to check it's worked before you post.

 

(Sorry if I'm being bossy :oops: - it's just a good way to let people know exactly what your question relates to!)

 

edit:

I've just read it again & I think I get it :lol: . Yes, I'm not sure if my hybrids will lay over the winter or not because they're still quite young.

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I've had my girls 2 weeks now.

Belina (Gingernut Ranger) laid exactly 2 weeks after having her.

The egg was tiny and had broken, but it was a special moment.

 

That was at the weekend and we've had nothing since though.

 

Clarissa (Mrs Pepperpot) is still quite young and hasn't developed her comb etc, and has a grey face, so she won't lay for a while yet.

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I got my first 2 gingernuts this time last year, both the same age. One started laying mid December, but it was very hit and miss, lay one miss two days, lay two, miss a week etc. The other started to lay mid January, alternate days only. They both picked up though. So don't rule out eggs this year yet - but be prepared for there to be differences in them. Although the same, both my GNRs differ, one is regular as clockwork, the other is still a bit hit and miss (she likes her days off :roll::wink: )

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Hi Claret, yes they look younger, they have been crouching for a couple of weeks at least, and are quiet red, we started saying "look at ... she'll be laying soon" but it just seems to be going on and on!

Hopefully it will happen soon, I am trying really hard to resist buying eggs, but we could do with another 5 or 6 a week (just had to put off making cake!)

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Not make cakes! :shock::?

 

Mmmm, sounds like they are maturing slower with the cold and less light - they usually start crouching roughly a week before they start to lay. If it's any consolation, I bought 3 new pure breed banties at the end of July (I think it was then), they were 1 x 16 weeks and 2 x 14 weeks... none of them are laying yet and the two youngest are filling out, but not showing any signs of reddening up or crouching. I was resigned not to get any eggs from them before Christmas anyway. The rest are moulting and therefore not laying either... I have 10 hens, and not one egg from the lot of them!!!!!! Last year they started moulting and stopped laying in September and didn't lay again until January - I checked on Rosie's spreadsheet yesterday.

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What would be really handy would be for someone who has both a non laying and a recently started laying birds, to postr comparison pics. cause I never really know what Im looking for, I mean how red is red? Should the comb get large before hand as well. What bit of the face is red or grey?

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we had our first pepperpot egg this morning :)

I had a quick peek in the egg port and there was a PP sitting there, she moved to reveal an egg :) Its more orange and has brown spots!!

I dont know which one laid it as it was still dark, but it was very warm!

Just one more to lay now :) I will ask DH to keep an eye on them in the morning to see if he can spot who is laying (I will be at work romorrow!)

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Brilliant news Sue!

 

OK, here are some photos....

 

These are immature birds showing small combs and pale faces and headgear. They also, generally, have slimmer, less 'busty' physiques

 

Ruby2andJude.jpg

 

These next three photos show mature, laying hens. With red faces and larger headgear

 

lavinia.jpg

 

PhilwithRubyandBetty.jpg

 

fleur.jpg

 

This picture of Lavinia shows her greyer face and general lack of condition after hatching chickies; it takes quite some time for them to regain good condition as they eat far less when hatching and always make sure that the youngsters eat before they do,

Laviniabrood2.jpg

When mature hens stop laying for any reason, or are ill, their headgear will shrink and they will get quite a bit paler, even greyish in colour, this shows all over their face, comb and wattles. Note that a hens reddness will vary slightly during the day according to the ambient temperature, whether they are about to lay, or if they're excited.

 

I hope this helps.

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Right see my mini orp here is very red looking, plus she crouches for me, I dont think she is as young as the others, as I got her from the breeders birds not from his 'for sale' bit. But I would have thought its to late in the year for her to start laying now. With pure breeds, when it gets to winter and they stop, does the red become pale again untill the next laying season?

SNB21058.jpg

and here are the hybrids: Im guessing the white star and the columbine are a way off still but the bluebelle at last check her pin bones were 2 1/2 fingers apart, could find them today lol but her face is a little pink still too.

SNB21062.jpg

SNB21060.jpg

SNB21064.jpg

 

How sudden can they redden up, it it like overnight, or does it happen gradually over the course of a couple fo weeks etc.

 

I know nothing lol!

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