SUCCESS! We've got an egg!!! Isa Browns not laying.... why?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by bloodychooks, Apr 17, 2007.

  1. bloodychooks

    bloodychooks Junior Member

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    We got our first lot of chooks 6 weeks ago when they were 16 weeks old. We are still yet to get any eggs from them.

    Is this normal?

    Would love some advice please :lol:
     
  2. bill

    bill Junior Member

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    As a general rule, 6 months is point of lay. Yours are not quite there yet.
     
  3. bloodychooks

    bloodychooks Junior Member

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    Thanks Bill.
    Here's hoping they start laying soon. I am getting impatient!
     
  4. sammiiz

    sammiiz Junior Member

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    bloodychooks;
    as bill said, 6 months (24 weeks) is point of lay... in reality, i would say POL is between 20 and 30 weeks, as all chooks vary, breeds too etc etc.

    Isa's are normally pretty quick to the lay, but as your's are coming into lay as the days are getting shorter and cooler, they may take a little longer.
    Also things like a moult will put them off further. Give them a bit of extra protein to help them through.
    Their comb and wattles will go a really nice deep red before they lay - look out for that.

    I know how frustrating it is. One of my ladies must surely be bursting, 32 weeks and still no eggs to speak of :shock:
     
  5. bloodychooks

    bloodychooks Junior Member

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    we're currently feeding them food scraps and laying pellets with added shell grit.

    Is there anything else we should consider adding to their diet? sammiiz mentioned protein, in what form?

    Thanks again :D
     
  6. sammiiz

    sammiiz Junior Member

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    You don't need to chnage their diet at all, if you don't want to, what you're giving them is great.

    How long have they been on layer pellets?
    Sometimes i keep my pullets on 'grower' for a bit longer if they are seeming like a 'late bloomer', as the grower has a higher protein level.

    Are they moulting? during a moult it is wise to boost protein a bit - to help them along.

    A lot of people recommend feeding your chooks tinned cat food as a good protein boost... i have done this, its easy, chooks seem to love it... but... i don't know, its cat food?!?!?

    So i make up my own little 'protein mix'.
    Its got a selection of the following, that i feed them in a seperate container so they can have as much or as little as they like:
    Sunflower seeds, soy grit, seasame seeds, mung beans, lima beans, adzuki beans, wattle seeds.
    You can add brewers yeast to a mash.
    You can also set up bug traps, or breed your own like meal worms, earth worms, crickets etc.

    As i said, you don't need to chnage their diet, the layer pellets should be supplying everything they need (make sure they are not just gorging on the kitchen scraps and therefore not getting enough pellets) but you could try the extra protein if you wish.

    Cheers.
     
  7. bloodychooks

    bloodychooks Junior Member

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    Cat Food?? Seriously?!?!?!? :lol:

    Just went and had a look at the little girls and one especially is looking rather glowing IYKWIM!! Fingers crossed that they start laying soon. I am sick of buying crappy quality eggs :twisted:
     
  8. sammiiz

    sammiiz Junior Member

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    I know ridiculous isn't it... cats... enemy of chooks... chooks eating cat food... weird...!?!?!

    :lol: :lol: :lol:



    Fingers crossed for your eggs... :D
     
  9. bill

    bill Junior Member

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    Dry cat food would do just a well. Cats are almost exclusively carnivours so they need a high protien diet.... so dry cat food is made accordingly. Chook pellets have high protien meat meal in them but it does not seem enough for my chooks. My wife insists that they lay better on a commercial mix she buys that contains a variety of grains in addition to pellets... I must (reluctantly)admit she is right.... our girls won't lay well on just the pellets, which seems strange to me as I assume laying pellets is all the commercial producers use.
     
  10. sammiiz

    sammiiz Junior Member

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    I feed my chooks grain as well as the pellets... but i didn't realise it actually helped them... i have just done it out of habit now. I have never tested them on just pellets.
    Good to know.
     
  11. bloodychooks

    bloodychooks Junior Member

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    What came first..... the chicken or the egg?

    Well for us, the chickens came first BUT we just got our first egg :shock: :D

    So I jumped the gun getting all shirty about having no eggs and the little buggers were just testing me (obviously!).

    Thanks for all of your replies. The egg was only pretty small. Is this normal? Do they get bigger?

    Thanks again 8)
     
  12. bill

    bill Junior Member

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    Normal - yes
    Bigger - yes
     
  13. sammiiz

    sammiiz Junior Member

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    So whats the magic word bloodychooks??

    tell me so i can tell my wyandotte... she surely must be bursting by now!?

    :D :lol:
     
  14. bloodychooks

    bloodychooks Junior Member

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    Sammii,
    I think my username says it all!! :lol:

    2 eggs so far. Very exciting :razz:
     
  15. Ginny

    Ginny New Member

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    Hi all, I'm a newbie here and can relate to the wait for the first egg - I got mine last week after having my six Isabrowns for just one week.

    My mother in law (joking) suggested we lean an axe in a corner of the chook run to remind the girls of the consequences of not laying. They must have overheard because the very next morning there was one tiny, but perfect and delicious egg.

    Since then we have had one and occasionally two a day - can't wait for "full production"
     
  16. ejanea

    ejanea Junior Member

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    My daughter suggested a KFC poster in the chook yard.
     

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