I have 3 ameraucanas and 3 cuckoo marans that I received on June 5, 2008. They were approximately 2 to 4 days old. None have started to lay yet. Any ideas when they might start? I am soooo anxious, lol. Thanks
Have a question
I don't know anything about those specific breeds, but layers are generally said to start laying at around 20 weeks, some birds go as late as -I believe-25 weeks. And of course some are earlier. So generally 5 months, with some consideration given for season, weather, light, etc. Are they warm and fat and getting plenty of sunshine?
To answer your questions "yes"
If they have all that, then they should be due any day. Sometimes temperature changes will throw them off for a week or so. So if the cold has recently hit, that may be a factor. My pullets took forever to start laying this year, but I'm sure it they'll get going in their own good time. That's just slower than my own good time...
same as grow, I'm not certain on the breeds, but my girls (1 cochin, 1 sussex, and 1 americauna) were hatched in early to mid-may. The early May girl, the cochin, started laying 10/08/08. The mid-may girls just started laying this week and last week.
Maybe next month for june babies?
Hi MBSHAFEENA! have a flock of twenty-five Marans, and three Americanas. All of them were hatched at the same time, May 19th . All of them were laying regularly be twenty weeks. However I also have five polish crested and four crevecours, these also were hatched the same day and none of them are laying yet. So go figure. Chickens are so unpredictable when it comes to laying, and so predictable when it comes to fun. Your gonna love the Marans eggs, when they do start laying. Haystack
Slight hijack here:
Haystack,
Are all maran eggs those super dark brown? My DH oooo's and aaaaaaaa's everytime he sees that thread that has the dozen maran eggs in the first post.
Make sure you have a light on....that will help, particularly this time of year with the days being so short.
We have 6 hens that we got in mid June. Some of them are laying now. We have a light that goes on in the coop at around 5pm and stays on until about 10:30. I have been told that makes a HUGE difference.
Teresa
Good call Teresa! Definitely a good thing to provide -more daylight hours.
Hi there Lazy_Ladies; I was just reading your post on (broody Cochin) made me laugh because I have four Cochins and no success in keeping them out of the nests or off of everybodies eggs. They are a piece of work but grreat hatchers. In regard to your question of the Marans chocolate eggs. The answer is no, not at all,out of all my Marans about forty percent arevery dark layers and the rest are much lighter, though even the light ones are much darker than the normal brown egg layer. They are indeed beautiful eggs, and oddly enough some of my egg buyers don't want them at all, while others want as many as they can get. I have one neighbor whose wife just stopped by yesterday and asked if I supply her with five doz chocolate eggs per week. She also wants two doz green eggs per week. I have no idea what they can do with so many eggs but oh well. Haystack
Is this something that you could tell by what the mama lays or is it a crap-shot no matter how you look at it?
Hi there Laz _lady! No It's not really a crap shoot. In the begining it kinda sorta is, but if your willing to put in the time you can really do well and specific. Say you buy twelve chick, or hatching eggs. when your chicks began to lay don't worry just gather the eggs. about three weeks later, the eggs will begin to get larger. At that time you want to monitor your chicks frequently, as you catch them laying pay particular attention to the shade of egg she laid. create a chart (very dark, dark, and not so dark, or speckled. Put a certain color zip tie on the chickens leg that represents the shade you desire. Normally the very dark is what you want. Sell or butcher all except the ones you like then of course you must have at least one rooster (marans) then start your own breeding program. The hen not the rooster determines the shade, as she spray paints them as they pass through the ovaduct. As always good talking to you. Haystack
I have 3 Ameracaunas that I got as 2-3 day old chicks on May 11 2008. They have just begun to lay after almost exactly 24 weeks, which was last weekend.
We've been giving them supplemental lighting since mid September. I live in SW PA.
It took forever, they are large free-range birds that have received laying crumbles since they were 4 months old.
One is laying brown eggs, another is laying green eggs, and the third has not yet begun to lay eggs.
They are having some trouble using nest boxes, as the first 'clutch' was discovered under the hen house in a depression in the soil.
I hope this helps?! Maybe you have another 4 weeks to wait....or maybe mine are just a bit strange.