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Author Topic: My POL's haven't yet laid  (Read 5858 times)

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
My POL's haven't yet laid
« on: April 25, 2012, 11:30:23 am »
I bought 4 POL hens 2 weeks ago. I didn't actually expect them to lay for a couple of weeks anyway but could this cold rainy weather be holding them up?

I speak to them each day asking where my eggs are but I'm not getting much response  ;)

thanks
Sally
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2012, 11:38:16 am »
I think that when you buy POL pullets they can vary quite a lot in age. POL may span a few weeks depending who you get them from. If they are hybrids I dont think that the weather would affect them too much. We bought a couple of POL hybrids in the autumn knowing that they would come into lay even though it was cold and provide eggs while the pure breeds had a rest through the winter. If they are pure breeds they do seem to wait for the warmer days.

Keep talking to them and they will lay soon  :D


Fowlman

  • Joined Apr 2012
  • Wiltshire
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2012, 11:39:25 am »
POL is a very vague description which describes pullets 16 weeks or older. Depending on breed they could start laying anything from 22 weeks onwards, some take as long as 32 weeks. If they are hybrids they should start laying around 22 weeks. I would ask the breeder the exact age if possible. They do usually take a week or two to settle in anyway and bad weather doesnt help.
Tucked away on the downs in wiltshire.

goosepimple

  • Joined May 2010
  • nr Lauder, Scottish Borders
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2012, 12:09:56 pm »
They'll be fine, relax, our first lot took over a month to start laying, like all of us they prefer a bit of sun and warmth to get mobilised  :D
registered soay, castlemilk moorit  and north ronaldsay sheep, pygmy goats, steinbacher geese, muscovy ducks, various hens, lots of visiting mallards, a naughty border collie, a puss and a couple of guinea pigs

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2012, 08:59:40 pm »
Mine are put off laying by it being too wet, too dry, too windy, too still, too hot, too cold....... ::)
Yours'll get to it before long I'm sure  :)

manian

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2012, 09:05:48 pm »
hi
what are their combs like?  also feel her pelvic bone for size of gap, it'll give an idea of how close
Mx

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2012, 11:22:20 pm »
I had 20 Rhode Rocks delivered this lunchtime from AA McIntyre - and four had laid by tea-time  ;D

Sorry, I know that's not helpful, but just needed to share. :chook:

manian

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2012, 07:14:26 am »
I had 20 Rhode Rocks delivered this lunchtime from AA McIntyre - and four had laid by tea-time  ;D

Sorry, I know that's not helpful, but just needed to share. :chook:


 ;D ;D ;D ;D
when we got our hybrids we had 3 eggs on the way home !!!!!  ;)    i always new my OH driving was bad!!!!! must of scared them

Sylvia

  • Joined Aug 2009
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2012, 07:18:07 am »
You go down to them with a packet of Paxo in one hand and an egg box in the other and say "Now girls, which is it to be..........? :D :D
Seriously, though as said, they'll lay when they're ready, be patient.

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2012, 08:40:19 am »
I had 20 Rhode Rocks delivered this lunchtime from AA McIntyre - and four had laid by tea-time  ;D

Sorry, I know that's not helpful, but just needed to share. :chook:

No Rosemary, thats not helpful  :( 

I think I need to give mine a stern talking to. It looks like the paxo or the egg box trick coming up  ;D

Sally
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2012, 08:44:33 am »
Positive thinking Bionic ..... yours have yet to lay  ...... so ...... you know that they are POL and not older hens and they will have years of laying ahead. And you know what they say about anticipation!  ;D

Pootle

  • Joined Apr 2012
  • Surrey/Hampshire border
    • Pootle Pekins
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2012, 10:46:02 am »
I think a lot of breeders/suppliers use POL as purely an age term and nothing to do with whether the individual pullet is ready to start laying or not, which is never very helpful for the buyer. That said, this weather is playing havoc with my lot...the only ones still laying daily are the sabelpoots.

Where're you keeping your hens, Sally?
Breeder of pekins and sabelpoots
Pootle Pekins

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #12 on: April 26, 2012, 10:56:59 am »
Pootle,
I have 2 light sussex, 1 black rock and 1 bluebelle and they are kept in a coop with a small run but the run door is always open so that they have free range. Actually they rarely stray from the area around their coop though.

Sally
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2012, 10:57:56 am »
Mine started around the 22nd week but it was wonderful weather .

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: My POL's haven't yet laid
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2012, 10:59:56 am »
Thanks Sabrina,
I think mine were about 17 weeks when we got them so 19 weeks now.  I will wait another 3 weeks and then threaten then with the paxo  ;D.  Hopefully by then we will be having some nice weather too.
Sally
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

 

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