My chickens turned 23 weeks old this weekend and I had just about given up but yesterday I checked the coop to find 2 eggs!
First question, we were gone on Sunday and didn't get back until late so I didn't check the coop at all on Sunday. I'm not sure if one chicken layed them both, one on Sunday and one on Monday or if two different chickens layed them both on Monday. Neither were there on Saturday. They are slightly different in size and color. Anyways, it was 74-ish on Sunday/Monday, if the eggs sat out a whole day in that weather are they still good to eat?
I found one egg out in the run and the other inside the coop on the floor, you know less than two feet away from the nestboxes
Today I was out cleaning the coop when one hen started singing the egg song! Super exciting right?! I put her inside the coop (they were out free ranging while I cleaned) and she kept on going up on the roosts and singing away. No egg. I went in to take a shower after the coop was cleaned and came back out and...EGG! Thing is, also on the coop floor, broken. I think she layed it while roosting? I have small balls in both nest boxes with lots of bedding, is there anything I should be doing to guide her to laying in the nestboxes. I'm willing to sacrafice an egg in the boxes if that would help.
Just a FYI, we have 5 hens, 2 'red pullets' and 3 Buff Orpingtons. The one I caught singing today was one of the reds. Both reds have red combs/wattles (and have for weeks!) and 1 of the Buffs is really red too, the others are close but not quite. We also do have a Buff Rooster who has been crowing since early July. All the same age. 2 nestboxes
I had been feeding them chick started but when we ran out last week (chicks were 22 weeks old!) I decided to make the switch to layer feed. Not sure if that finally pushed her over the 'edge' but I'm glad they are finally 'earning their keep'...kind of LOL my husband says as of right now each of those two eggs is worth $350
The eggs are still in my fridge, I almost can't even bring myself to eat them I'm so excited they are finally here!
First question, we were gone on Sunday and didn't get back until late so I didn't check the coop at all on Sunday. I'm not sure if one chicken layed them both, one on Sunday and one on Monday or if two different chickens layed them both on Monday. Neither were there on Saturday. They are slightly different in size and color. Anyways, it was 74-ish on Sunday/Monday, if the eggs sat out a whole day in that weather are they still good to eat?
I found one egg out in the run and the other inside the coop on the floor, you know less than two feet away from the nestboxes
Today I was out cleaning the coop when one hen started singing the egg song! Super exciting right?! I put her inside the coop (they were out free ranging while I cleaned) and she kept on going up on the roosts and singing away. No egg. I went in to take a shower after the coop was cleaned and came back out and...EGG! Thing is, also on the coop floor, broken. I think she layed it while roosting? I have small balls in both nest boxes with lots of bedding, is there anything I should be doing to guide her to laying in the nestboxes. I'm willing to sacrafice an egg in the boxes if that would help.Just a FYI, we have 5 hens, 2 'red pullets' and 3 Buff Orpingtons. The one I caught singing today was one of the reds. Both reds have red combs/wattles (and have for weeks!) and 1 of the Buffs is really red too, the others are close but not quite. We also do have a Buff Rooster who has been crowing since early July. All the same age. 2 nestboxes
I had been feeding them chick started but when we ran out last week (chicks were 22 weeks old!) I decided to make the switch to layer feed. Not sure if that finally pushed her over the 'edge' but I'm glad they are finally 'earning their keep'...kind of LOL my husband says as of right now each of those two eggs is worth $350
The eggs are still in my fridge, I almost can't even bring myself to eat them I'm so excited they are finally here!
