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

[kacklinkelly]

I'm not one of the magicals on here.

The egg song is the funniest -
go to youtube and type in chicken egg song. My bird was doing it
over and over for almost half an hour last Sunday. I have never heard it before
and had no idea it was so loud. The chicks are usually pretty quiet.
Good thing I wasn't trying to hide having chickens because there is
no way to hide it now with my girl.

 

[CatSol]

Hi xshoshin

Glad you stopped by. I wondered about the egg song as well. It is that typical sound they play on TV that people associate with chickens. My friend says that her birds only sing if they are in distress... which they can do. But mine sing before and after laying eggs. Or for the other bird who is laying... You can go on Youtube and do a search of chicken egg song... I hope that helps. I know which girls are laying because I see them when they lay sometimes. Since it is so warm here in Southern California I have an run with boxes under a roof area and against the back wall. And I only have two girls laying. They are both americauanas but I can tell their eggs apart. Matilda's eggs are a little larger and bluer then Betty's eggs.

 

[CatSol]

Of course you are Kelly. We all get to be Magical It is funny you mention about noisy chickens. I have one girl that is waaay noisier then the others. Kind of funny though. And for the egg song... I never get more then 5 mins of it... the noise Matilda makes is kind of a weird complaining sound... I sit and watch my birds and I never knew how many different sounds that these birds make. I really think it is fun to hear their voices change from chicks to adults. My gold star and marans have been going throw the 'change' this last couple of weeks and I find that so much fun. My Marans are now 12 weeks and the gold star is 15 weeks...

 

[nova022]

I read these posts and sometimes think you guys are magical...
How in the world do you know which hen laid which egg????? I'm sure I'll know when the ameracauna lays, but all my other hens are brown egg layers. Please share your magical knowledge...my girls are just past 4 months and I'll be needing to know soon. And tell me about the egg song!

All of my girls lay slightly different colored eggs (I have five different breeds that have begun laying and three that have not). My Barred Rock laid the first egg and it is the lightest, My Australorp laid the 2nd and it is the darkest. The others laid several days apart after that so that I knew which had started laying and which egg it layed. My hens cluck loud and proud (bukbuk bukBUK bukbukbukBUKbukbukbukBUKbukbuk bukBUK bukbukbukBUKbukbukbukBUK) when they are ready to lay an egg. Each one sounds a little different but once you hear it you will know exactly what it is.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Catsol - I continue to enjoy these chickens much more than I ever thought I would.
Such different personalities and different sounds. I love to spend time just watching
and listening to them. It has become my favorite past time and calms me almost
as much as a massage has.

 

[xshoshin]

ROFL -- I youtubed chicken egg song and was treated to quite a performance! I will now recognize the egg song but I sincerely hope my girls are quieter -- my neighbors will probably not think it's as cute as I do.

My australorp is squatting, so she may be first. The five I have are all different....besides the australorp and ameraucana, I have a barred rock, a cochin, and silver laced wyandotte. I had a beautiful blue laced red wyandotte but she decided to be a roo instead.



Here they are from a few weeks ago...checking out the patio (and possibly the cat)...actually, they're hoping I'll come out the door with some treats! They know the sound of the sliding door and come running.

 

[CatSol]

I know what you mean Kelly. I had no idea that it would be so relaxing to just sit out there and ... be... I love it. So glad that others out there understand Even my Mom has gotten into it. She hated chicken when she was a child and did not like the idea of chickens at all. Now .... what a difference. She loves just sitting out there and watching them, feeding them treats and petting them as well. Who Knew? I find them way more relaxing then when I had fish...

OK... I have to try this... I have made an account with Youtube... lets see if if works... This should be video of my Matilda laying one of her many blue eggs.

......

 

[KnobbyOaks]

Melabella and Crafty chick, I think it was Renee who laid the egg because there's a little white smear on her vent feathers just as there's a little white smudge on one side of the egg. Glad I don't have to really know though.

 

[kacklinkelly]

CatSol - that video was amazing!. Your Matilda looks related to my Adobo.
How old was she when she started laying? My Adobo is 22 weeks and is the top hen in our
small flock. No eggs yet. I keep reading where people say their Easter Eggers are friendly.
Mine is so protective of her friends that she has pecked me a couple of times
when I reach to pet one of the others. I have taken advice that people have
written about roosters and started applying it to Adobo. So far, my carrying her
around (lovingly) tucked under my arm and walking around with her, hasn't
changed her behavior. She did it to me again today. It doesn't hurt, it just
startles me because I don't even know she's there and then bam

she gets me.
Little stinker.

 

[CatSol]

Thrilled you liked the video. I got her from Murray McMurray. She was 23 weeks and 3 days when she laid her first egg. Betty laid her first egg at 22 weeks and 4 days. Your girls should start any day now. Mine are both now 8 months old. I handle my birds as much as I can when they are chicks. I will also do some hand feeding as young as I can. I wanted birds that my young cousins could feed and pet if they were brave enough. Some of my newer birds I got when they were a little older and I did not spend as much time with them.... which means that they are not as tame... especially my turkey hen. She was 8 weeks old when I got her. I would say just keep doing what you are doing. You may not get a real tame bird but they should at least respect that you are flock leader.
I have also taped a bird if they do something I am not happy with, like being too rough with a younger bird... They turkeys were bad when the chicks were small... now it is the older girls with the young birds. I don't let it get out of hand though I know there will be some maneuvering with the pecking order. A tap if they are near me... a long stick if they are near by.. or a small light wood chip if they are far. Just a tap with my girls to remind them that I am there and I am in charge. A small tap startles them all out of proportion. I use just one finger when I do this... Just like I pecked them back but very lightly. I am not sure if that would work with your girl who is so aggressive though... I wish you luck with her.
I lost most of my birds to a neighbors dog. I only have 2 girls and one turkey from my original flock. That is why I have ages that are all over the place. I have heard that it can be hard to integrate new birds. That is why I am being so careful with my girls. Even if they do not all bond I want them to at least be safe together.