depressed pullets

[chickenfan]

I've separated my pullets from different broods that were being bothered by their brothers and they are now together free ranging in a pen. They are all getting on well, but they are not eating much (barely eating and untempted by treats), and this has gone on for several days. I think they are feeling bereaved from their brothers. I'm not sure that this isn't worse than the attempted matings on birds that are too young (13-14 weeks), and whether it may be better to put one boy in with them.

 

[chrismahon]

Ours Leghorns were quiet for several days after the cockerels were removed but they aren't now. Taken to charging the run gate and then rushing past me and out into the enclosure to get grass. They are so tame it is a simple matter to get them back in again though. One is crouching, they all have red combs and at 19 weeks they are perhaps close to laying?

 

[chickenfan]

How exciting Chris. I didn't realise it was Leghorns you were raising. I'm glad it sounds like you have a number of pullets in the brood. Glad you think my birds will adapt soon. Apricot is her old self again.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Chris,
didn't know you had Leghorns, such great birds, aren't they?
I have had three for over a year now, and their grace, good nature and speed (warp) still amazes me. My girls are probably about a year and a half now, and lay an egg a day each without fail and have done so since they started laying.
Interestingly, my Leghorn/Legbar hybrid is the same. All the Legbars I have had have been real slouches on the egg front, but "Sweetie" lays a lovely large blue egg daily too, must be her Leghorn genes. Long may it continue.

 

[chrismahon]

These are Brown English Leghorn Bantams Valerie. Delightful little girls and so confident. They are the best egg producers for feed intake you can get I think. Up to a 50g egg for 80g of feed, need little space and lay heavily for over two full years, until they have given all 600 eggs. Problem is the cocks who, from show breeding, have hugely disproportionate combs and wattles. This leads to frostbit problems in Winter, so they have to come into the house at night, even down here. Slightly alarming is the shrivelling up of the hens combs in Winter and during the moult, but a touch of Vaseline keeps them supple and they do quickly recover. Very rarely broody and if they do are easily broken by removal from the nest box a few times. Highly manoeuvrable and flighty, a covered run is essential. They also talk a lot and will tackle any intruding hen, regardless of size, ruthlessly.

 

[valeriebutterley]

They sound lovely, Chris.
A 50g egg is not a bad size is it?
I've just weighed one of my Leghorns eggs, and it was a fair size at 57g, so 50g is really good for a bantam.
I have 4 Ancona (girls I hope) growing at the moment, I just love the look of these Mediterranean girls.
This year, the second I have had them, the Leghorns combs have grown absolutely huge.

 

[chrismahon]

The eggs are typically 47 or 48 grammes Valerie and they taste fantastic -so not for sale.

The big combs make a great radiator to lose heat in Summer, but unfortunately that's bad in Winter so perhaps that's why they shrivel -an evolved characteristic?

 

[dinosaw]

I've said it quite a few times on the forum but once more won't hurt, I think Leghorns are fantastic birds, great characters (even if they did seem to have a habit of injuring me). I nearly got some american chocolate leghorn eggs for the current hatch but figured it would be too hard to source an unrelated cock to breed with them.

 

[chickenfan]

Very interesting to learn the merits and economies of Leghorns. I'm finding copper black Marans expensive to keep as they get through so much food, no doubt because of their big eggs and perhaps the dark brown colour of them, which is haemoglobin and from the blood of the bird. After a week of my pullets eating almost nothing I relented and put a young bantam cockerel in with them. I am hugely relieved they are now all eating well. They are Sussex x Sablepoots and I think perhaps strongly bonded birds.