Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

[kada6305]

That would be quite the egg hunt! It would take all day!

I was wondering how everyone is doing in the heat since we're smack in the middle of summer now? Has it had any impact on egg-laying? My EE's are still pretty consistent but one will sometimes skip a day here and there if it's really hot. I feel bad for them if they don't get it out of the way early in the morning, because I'm sure it gets hot in the laying boxes when it's 90 degrees outside. I've also had some good results with the mister I hooked up to their run, at first they weren't sure about it but now they'll just stand under the mist and chill out, I guess it feels good to them. They also LOVE it when I make a mud puddle in their run with the hose, they stand in it and cool their feet.

well we have been in the 70's-80's all summer a few days hit the 90's mayb 4 days. My hens just started laying 10 days ago though. And yes its a huge egg hunt which is why they are in the coop until 11am now, we have a fence around the coop but it needs enlarged, now that they all grew not enought for 5 ducks and 8 chickens lol was a bit different when they were fuzz balls. But I have 2 chickens who are laying constantly. not sure who my first egg is from but my second is from nugget she lays 10-1030ish so ill check at 10:30 and if she layed everyone gets out. Pox crows after every egg so I mostly just have to listen for him crowing. But if I dont keep her in coop she decides to lay in the **** rabbit hutch, it;s huge and of course she lays in the back corned in the built in nesting box for the rabbits ( no rabbits are currently in here) And I either have to climb into the hutch myself or use a shove. I used shovel twice and yesterday i cracked her egg, We are going to make another access door in the back lol But she has been laying double yolks. I have gotten 2 from her so far,and all of her eggs have been fertilized.

 

[CatSol]

Oh.. that double yoke look great. I got one the other day. I should have taken a pic.... it was delicious.
My girls run is pretty big with 4 large nest boxes. I leave them in all day were they are safe. I do have birds of pray out here. Then when it gets cooler and they are done with laying, normally about 5:30 - 6pm, I let them out for free range time. I am usually doing some outdoor chores at that time so I can keep an eye on them. My property is not as big as some of yours Only an acre and a half... (That is a lot for Southern California but I also would not be happy to hunt all over for eggs either. My girls have been really good about laying in the boxes. There has only been a few accidents in the beginning... I am really lucky Yes it is funny when they fight over a nest box... especially when it is 2 hen and a turkey hen all in one box. Who knew we would be so entertained by our birds. We love it.

 

[kada6305]

I actually got two double yolks yesterday! I was impressed, Yeah I think I am going to start letting them out earlier and just putting them in the pen until they are done laying and let them free range. I have 5 acres so it would be a egg hunt! lol

 

[nakstk]

We are leaving tomorrow for 6 days. eek I was so nervous leaving my girls last year, even though the person I asked to chicken-sit (16 yr old neighbor girl) had chicken before. I guess it was for good reason. I had also asked my friend to stop by and check on them as well. Well I found out that the neighbor girl left my hens locked up in the coop til 3 pm on a 103 degree day. Which is VERY rare for this area. My friend let them all out and gave them water she said they were pretty lethargic at first after they drank some cold water they were fine.

THIS year I have asked the new neighbor that left her chicken at her old house when they rented the place next door. She is getting chicken and her new place once its built. She buys my eggs from me and I feel totally comfortable with her watching them. Or at least I keep telling myself that. I did add an extra waterer in the run and extra feeder in the coop for them. But I really don't think there will be any problem this year.

 

[snakelife]

My girl is STILL not laying. She's been squating and singing for weeks now!!!! I'm about to strangle her.

 

[Spikes Chooks]

That would be quite the egg hunt! It would take all day!

I was wondering how everyone is doing in the heat since we're smack in the middle of summer now? Has it had any impact on egg-laying? My EE's are still pretty consistent but one will sometimes skip a day here and there if it's really hot. I feel bad for them if they don't get it out of the way early in the morning, because I'm sure it gets hot in the laying boxes when it's 90 degrees outside. I've also had some good results with the mister I hooked up to their run, at first they weren't sure about it but now they'll just stand under the mist and chill out, I guess it feels good to them. They also LOVE it when I make a mud puddle in their run with the hose, they stand in it and cool their feet.

I love the mister we use as well. I do worry about them laying in the nesting boxes when it is very hot, too. I broke my rule against plastic drink bottles and bought some really small water bottles - 6 bottles for 3 nesting boxes. I freeze them filled with water and placed one in each box in the morning and again early afternoon for the afternoon layers. At least then they have a cold bottle to cool them down. My Australorp often takes at least an hour to lay and she was panting very heavily until I did this.

Every 6 months here we have a kerbside cleanup where people put out unwanted things - I found a small, clam-shaped toddlers' paddling pool and next summer here, I am going to put some sand in the bottom then top it with cool water. I am hoping they will use it as their outside pool when they are free ranging.

 

[happylittlehens]

Finally got our first egg today! From one of the 20 week old leghorns. She dropped it right by the waterer out in the run.

 

[kdwag]

We are leaving tomorrow for 6 days. eek I was so nervous leaving my girls last year, even though the person I asked to chicken-sit (16 yr old neighbor girl) had chicken before. I guess it was for good reason. I had also asked my friend to stop by and check on them as well. Well I found out that the neighbor girl left my hens locked up in the coop til 3 pm on a 103 degree day. Which is VERY rare for this area. My friend let them all out and gave them water she said they were pretty lethargic at first after they drank some cold water they were fine.

THIS year I have asked the new neighbor that left her chicken at her old house when they rented the place next door. She is getting chicken and her new place once its built. She buys my eggs from me and I feel totally comfortable with her watching them. Or at least I keep telling myself that. I did add an extra waterer in the run and extra feeder in the coop for them. But I really don't think there will be any problem this year.

Ugh, I cancelled a vacation week I had in July because of that same problem. I had my nephew lined up but it was upper 90s and really high humidity and I just knew he wouldn't pay close attention to them like I would so I stayed home. As it turned out, I'm glad i did because it was down right miserable and they were so hot. I ended up keeping the coop door open most of the week and prayed for their safety. We don't have a lot of 4 legged predators around here so I wasn't too afraid for them. That was the last week of hot weather we got. It's been in the 70s since then and we're starting to dry out but it's too late for most everything in my garden. My tomatoes seem to be ok but not fantastic. The chickens caught on to the corn and have managed to eat quite a lot of it. I have harvested some for eating but they have surely gotten their fill. The new coop is almost done and i cannot wait to get them in it. Every evening they come out and hop inside it to view the progress. My RIR tried out the nest box which helped me a lot because I now know we need to move the roost bar in front of it. They are funny, and so inquisitive. We also got a new puppy-- 8 weeks, german shorthaired pointer, his name is Guinness and he is a stinker. He has chased the girls a couple of times but now he just sits and watches. They aren't too afraid of him but that will most likely change when his bird dog instincts take over. LOL

 

[Ariekannairb]

I decided to coop my 19 week old leghorns for the next week to see if they are perhaps laying in the trees. It has been so hot here the last few days that they don't really go out foraging during the day anyways.

 

[KilnChick]

My girl is STILL not laying. She's been squating and singing for weeks now!!!! I'm about to strangle her.

Hey, you might squeeze an egg out of her if you do that?