Just Clucky I Guess
Chirping
- Nov 5, 2019
- 26
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- 94
Yesterday I let my birds out at about 6:30 then worked on feed, water, fodder, and coop chores for about 90 mins and went to check for eggs as iv been doing for since they were way to young to lay. This is my first flock and I’m learning as I go.
The flock consists of:
8 Pekins 4/4 ducks to drakes.
2 crested white ducks,
1 speckled Sussex roo,
1 buff Orpington roo,
3 speckled Sussex hens,
1 buff Orpington hen,
2 buff Brahma hens,
1 barred rock hen,
1 silver laced Wyandotte hen
The Pekin ducks were all born on May1, 2020 and all others were born june2 so perhaps a bit early for them to start laying.
Well yesterday unlike all previous days miracle of wonders I find an egg! It looked like an elongated chunk of concrete crusted in poo (Pix of cleaned egg below). I remember reading somewhere that hens initial efforts at laying are often imperfect and usually improve after their first egg or two.By my calculations this egg was laid by a Pekin duck 4 months and 18 days old. I rushed it up to the house joyously to show my lovely wife then returned to complete a few more chores including replacing the harvested egg with two smaller smoother eggs made of porcelain to incourage any other ducks who might be thinking of laying too. Anyway before heading back to the house I decide to check for eggs one more time as the ducks had been in there quacking. Rather than a new egg I find one of the porcelain fakes missing! I searched several minutes through the litter with a machete from the tool shed listening and feeling for the fake egg to no avail then repeated my failed search through the run nothing! I didnt obses over it though until this mornings egg check revealed the second fake egg seems to have met the same fate. What the heck is going on!? There are not many hiding places available in their secure enclosure and now my wife and son have also searched with no success. I’d think they ate them but I’m pretty sure they’re to big and heavy for any of my birds to eat. Has anyone encountered a similar occurrence? Lastly if it’s not to much in one thread can anyone tell anything from the appearance of our first egg? It had two yokes as well as a rough exterior not sure if that means anything but it was delicious.
The flock consists of:
8 Pekins 4/4 ducks to drakes.
2 crested white ducks,
1 speckled Sussex roo,
1 buff Orpington roo,
3 speckled Sussex hens,
1 buff Orpington hen,
2 buff Brahma hens,
1 barred rock hen,
1 silver laced Wyandotte hen
The Pekin ducks were all born on May1, 2020 and all others were born june2 so perhaps a bit early for them to start laying.
Well yesterday unlike all previous days miracle of wonders I find an egg! It looked like an elongated chunk of concrete crusted in poo (Pix of cleaned egg below). I remember reading somewhere that hens initial efforts at laying are often imperfect and usually improve after their first egg or two.By my calculations this egg was laid by a Pekin duck 4 months and 18 days old. I rushed it up to the house joyously to show my lovely wife then returned to complete a few more chores including replacing the harvested egg with two smaller smoother eggs made of porcelain to incourage any other ducks who might be thinking of laying too. Anyway before heading back to the house I decide to check for eggs one more time as the ducks had been in there quacking. Rather than a new egg I find one of the porcelain fakes missing! I searched several minutes through the litter with a machete from the tool shed listening and feeling for the fake egg to no avail then repeated my failed search through the run nothing! I didnt obses over it though until this mornings egg check revealed the second fake egg seems to have met the same fate. What the heck is going on!? There are not many hiding places available in their secure enclosure and now my wife and son have also searched with no success. I’d think they ate them but I’m pretty sure they’re to big and heavy for any of my birds to eat. Has anyone encountered a similar occurrence? Lastly if it’s not to much in one thread can anyone tell anything from the appearance of our first egg? It had two yokes as well as a rough exterior not sure if that means anything but it was delicious.
