We have Eggs

[bethh]

Last week, our buff orpington finally started laying. For 2 days, one was laying. Then the second started. Its been 10 days since they began but the third hasn't started. Is this common? The eggs are small, I guess because the chickens are only 5 months old. This morning we will have our first breakfast with the eggs. I wanted my husband to be home so we could have them together.

We have a barred rock that I guess will probably start laying next month. She is 4 months old. And I assume our amercaunas will in August/Septmeber. I get excited every morning that I go out and collect my eggs.

 

[Sheepshape]

Congratulations.

Big 'pedigree' birds (I keep Brahmas) can be 7-8 months old before they start to lay. Individual hens vary quite lot as to when they start, but once the comb and wattles go nice and red, they are ready to start.

Pullet(hen in her first year) eggs start very small and may not have yolks etc. but build up to mature hen size pretty quickly. Hens lay all through the winter on their first year, but thereafter are likely not to lay in the shortest, darkest days. Once the day length increases, they will start up again.

'Pedigrees' don't tend to lay as many eggs per week as brown hybrids. They, however, live much longer on average and are far less likely to get reproductive cancers which are very common in egg-laying hybrids.

Good luck.

 

[bethh]

What is considered pedigree vs brown hybrids? I have so much to learn.

 

[Sheepshape]

What is considered pedigree vs brown hybrids? I have so much to learn.

Pedigree is probably the wrong term as it is rare to know a full ancestry, so pure breed is more accurate. For example your Buff Orpington should be a huge bird with a recognisable look and have only Buff Orpingtons as her ancestors. Pure breeds conform to the so-called 'breed standards' for that particular country's poultry association (or are meant to!).

Hybrids have mixed parentage and are developed for specific characteristics...... lay lots of eggs and don't go broody are two of the commonest. Often they are a mid-brown colour and examples are Isa Brown and Warrens which have a complicated ancestry which involves Rhode Island Red and White. They start laying from an early age, usually lay 6 eggs/week, don't go broody etc. but 'burn out' quickly, don't tend to live long and up to a third get reproductive cancers if you keep them long enough. (The poor girls have a reproductive system in overdrive.)

There are hundreds of types of pure breed chickens which vary enormously in shape, size and colour.

Buff Orpington's are big, placid birds. They are pretty prone to broodiness, so don't be surprised if you find her refusing to leave the coop, feathers puffed up and making strange noises and pecking if you approach her. She doesn't need a rooster to be around to go broody and she doesn't need eggs to sit on to go broody.......a rock or even nothing at all will do.

 

[bethh]

Pedigree is probably the wrong term as it is rare to know a full ancestry, so pure breed is more accurate. For example your Buff Orpington should be a huge bird with a recognisable look and have only Buff Orpingtons as her ancestors. Pure breeds conform to the so-called 'breed standards' for that particular country's poultry association (or are meant to!).

Hybrids have mixed parentage and are developed for specific characteristics...... lay lots of eggs and don't go broody are two of the commonest. Often they are a mid-brown colour and examples are Isa Brown and Warrens which have a complicated ancestry which involves Rhode Island Red and White. They start laying from an early age, usually lay 6 eggs/week, don't go broody etc. but 'burn out' quickly, don't tend to live long and up to a third get reproductive cancers if you keep them long enough. (The poor girls have a reproductive system in overdrive.)

There are hundreds of types of pure breed chickens which vary enormously in shape, size and colour.

Buff Orpington's are big, placid birds. They are pretty prone to broodiness, so don't be surprised if you find her refusing to leave the coop, feathers puffed up and making strange noises and pecking if you approach her. She doesn't need a rooster to be around to go broody and she doesn't need eggs to sit on to go broody.......a rock or even nothing at all will do.

Thanks for the information. Currently mine aren’t broody. We just ate our first breakfast from the girls. The eggs were small but delicious.

 

[RollingAcres]

Congratulations on your first eggs!

 

[goatgurl]

nothing is more exciting than finding those first pullet bullets and enjoying the fruits of their labors. congrats.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

It is so exciting to gather eggs!!! Been doing it since a child and STILL makes me happy!!! Glad to hear your girls are producing now.

 

[bethh]

I noticed over the weekend that one of our Buff Orpingtons, 6 months old, is spending lots of time in the nesting box. I'll preface this with I'm new to chickens. Got our first ones in October, these girls just started laying 2 weeks ago so this is all new to me and possibly normal behavior. I find her in the nest box and I'm all excited because I think I'll get to see her lay an egg. Now, its not early in the morning when the temps haven't gotten ridiculous. Its the middle of the afternoon. She is in there for an hour. I go and check on her and she's moving about. Then sitting. Then panting. So I start to worry about the heat. I go get cold water and bring it to her. She won't drink in. I start dripping it on her. She drinks some of it. I put it on her comb and waddles. I leave her alone. She's still at it. Finally I just take her out of the nest box and bring her down to the creek. I put her in. Its only on her feet. She is walking around and fine. I notice similar behavior yesterday. Same today. I spent some time reading about crop issues, broody hens and egg bound. She doesn't seem to have any of that. She was on an egg. She didn't fuss when I took the egg and put her out of the box. Whats going on with her? Is this normal? Is it right to move her out of the box because of the heat and she had already laid an egg? Please advise.

 

[RollingAcres]

My first thought would be she's broody. I'm not a chicken expert but know that they can start to be broody at a young age and also when they are broody, they eat and drink very little.
Sorry can't help much.