3rd Annual NYD Hatch "Designer" Egg Swap Thread

[Farmerboy16]

I hope my girls start laying by then.

If not, I will have to back out of the swap.

I will give them lots, and lots of treats as a bribe. It better work! Or else!

 

[anderson8505]

I swear, bribery works with chickens. Every time I feed them Craisins, the next day I get one more egg than usual. Cheap dates!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

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I hope no one backs out! Remember who you are sending to it not who you are getting eggs from. Do you have anyone nearby that you.can get eggs from to send if yours aren't laying by then?

 

[Farmerboy16]

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I hope no one backs out! Remember who you are sending to it not who you are getting eggs from. Do you have anyone nearby that you.can get eggs from to send if yours aren't laying by then?

Yes.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

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I hope no one backs out! Remember who you are sending to it not who you are getting eggs from. Do you have anyone nearby that you.can get eggs from to send if yours aren't laying by then?

Yes.

Crisis averted.

 

[9Catsz]

I've noticed that if I get up at around 7 a.m. to let the ladies out of the coop, I get around 8-10 eggs that day. On the other hand, if I sleep in and they're cooped up until, say 9 or 10, I only get 1 or 2 eggs that day. Didn't know a chicken could hold an egg like that....that or they're hiding them in the woods to spite my lateness!

 

[wolftracks]

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Got you covered wolftracks

 

[superchemicalgirl]

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I think that was why I got so many eggs last winter despite no extra light. I let them out by 6 AM weekdays, regardless of light (cause I go to work). The leghorns and a couple of other chickens are early risers and will be outside stumbling around in the dark. The rest of them come out around dawn, so they get maximal natural light. I have one chicken who spends 23.5 hours a day on the roost and she lays maybe 10 eggs a year for me if I'm lucky.

 

[featherz]

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I think that was why I got so many eggs last winter despite no extra light. I let them out by 6 AM weekdays, regardless of light (cause I go to work). The leghorns and a couple of other chickens are early risers and will be outside stumbling around in the dark. The rest of them come out around dawn, so they get maximal natural light. I have one chicken who spends 23.5 hours a day on the roost and she lays maybe 10 eggs a year for me if I'm lucky.

Wow, so I am not the only one with crazy leghorns. I have WL in one coop with four production reds - the reds stay on the roost like normal chickens, the LH are wandering around in the run at 4AM when I come down to check waterers, etc. (my run is completely enclosed in HW cloth, so I let their pop door open early). I guess the white feathers let them see better in the dark.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Might be a breed trait. They also go to bed early... usually on the roost before the majority of the others. Early to bed, early to rise? They also lay eggs at ungodly hours. Most of the time they've already laid by sunup. How they find their way to the nesting boxes in the dark, I have no idea.

The last ones in the coop each night are always the red sexlinks and my speckled sussex. It's like they need a personal invitation to go to bed. The sussex probably isn't a breed issue, she's my shadow and will stand at the gate waiting for me to come put them to bed. She also won't go in the chicken door (unless it's an emergency) but waits for me to open the human door for her. And if she's free ranging, forget it. She will wait until it's almost pitch black out, just digging away, then finally realize everyone's in bed and it's dark. She's silly. And I love that little space cadet.