At last i got my new chicks they are only young ones got them last week from mexbrough how long do you think it will b till they start laying ther combs are very small i got one hybred and 5 pure breeds ;D
Usually around the 20 week mark. Good luck with them.
thats great how old are they? still on growers pellets. they grow so fast take lots of photos.
My last batch of chicks are 17 weeks and not yet laying. Only one has started to lay - eggs the size of cadburys mini-eggs :o :o
they are 9 weeks old but diffrent sizes the whit sussex is the smallist and is being pecked a lot can i stop this or not its the hybred that seems to b pecking it all the time
Without a cockerel they are fighting for 'top-dog' in the hen house. You probably wont stop it, though you could try isolating the bully for a couple of days. Don't know if this would work though, it does for most other things.
I agree with KT its the pecking order when they sort out who is the boss the others fall in line and one big happy family. With or without a cockrell it makes no difference in my experence. My cockrells are a bit hen pecked to say the least. Under the womans thumb ha ha.
If it goes on for more than two weeks or if one of the pullets gets injured than you may have to resort to other methords. I used a water gun and a cane. Yep I sat in the run on more than one occasion hand feeding them all.
Just make sure enough feeding dishess and water dishess so they dont fight over food. Hang a cabbage or two up scatter corn or porrage oats dry all over little and often it takes their mind off fighting. Distracts them.
make sure the sussex is able to eat and drink as often the top hen will stop them from reaching the food and water. They will lay at around 20 weeks for hybrids and usually later for purebreeds.
Agree with teresa about the cockerel.
My Harry, a big strapping Buff Orpington has gone to spend the rest of his days servicing hens. The bloke who has him introduced some new hens to him and they apparently nearly killed him !
I am astounded at how vicious my hens can be towards each other. When one went broody last year and then later rejoined the rest she was bullied relentlessly by the lower pecking order...served her right in being a bully to them before. It does seem to settle down after a while with the odd peck here and there just to reaffirm the order of things.
I hung cd's up in their shed as well as cabbage. It keeps them amused. I also chuck apples and cabbages on the floor for them to chase around and peck.
Handy hint for bully chooks ...
Sit them on the naughty step ;D
LOL @Trixie ;D
lol naughty step iwill try it i have been putting food for the sussex and she seems fine went in to the pen tonight and they all folowed me around didnot think i would like them as mutch as i do i can sit and watch them for agers ;D