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

[Melabella]

Hmmmm my first thought was I'd eat it anyway, but maybe when actually faced with it, I wouldn't....

That video is just fantastic. I lived in the UK for nearly 20 years, and his expressions are just soooooo Brit. Very funny - and another amzing egg adventure. I would love to get one like this!

I have read all the assurances about how much cold they can handle, too. It seems so unbearable to us, but they have such amazing feathers. Their roosting posture is ideal for keeping their feet warm, too. I feel sure they will be fine. Maybe a nice warm breakfast treat as soon as you arise? Get them started for the day.

When mine were little - I got them at 8 weeks old in the winter - they were all keen enough to get on my lap, sometimes three at once. I would encourage them up with a treat and then warm their feet with my hands. I told DH it was to get them familiar with me touching them anywhere, for future health checks, but we both knew it was because I am a soft touch and felt sorry for their cold tootsies.

Let us know how they are after the cold night!
Katrina

Katrina,, I love that image.. you keeping little chicken feet warm! All my girls are well this morning,, but only 2 eggs so far, perhaps it was to be a slow egg day anyway, but the cold maybe slowing things down a bit. They are staying in the coop for the most part. Only issue I am having is that one of my Barred rocks is starting to have caked uprunny butt. Never had that before. I am thinking maybe some of the sweet horse feed my husband is giving them to keepthem busy is giving her a hard time. Going to stop and see if it gets better. I have to try and catch her today and take off the big huge frozen gross bomb on the end of her furry butt.

just what I want to do when it's 5 degrees out.

MB

 

[kdwag]

Hi kdwag....

So happy to have you chime in! I remember that when I got the first true squat.. drop down, wings spread, wait for the back stroking, and stand up and shake it off, it was about 10 days to2 weeks after that my first egg came. I stopped feeding grower when the bag ran out right around 17 weeks, and switched to layer pellets. I didn't put out oyster shell until the first egg though. I had asked some old timers, and experienced chicken owners who said don't need it until the egg comes. The comb and waddle growing/redness is also big. Perhaps the last thing I noticed right before the egg parade was the moving around of the dummy eggs that I had sitting in each box, and the practising of going up and down the plank tothe coop, and sitting in the nests.. Eggs came days later. It's almost been 3 weeks since. We have yet to save a dozen, we keep eating them.. boy are they good. Other than the obvious good fresh taste, what I love the most is the whites. They are actually like meat, not the rubbery, tastless garbage I usually don't finish from before. I adore Egg white omlettes now!

One more thing... we LOVE pictures! Put some up of your pretty girls! Nice breeds, good egg layers!

MB

ps- when your eggs do start, save your egg shells, let them dry out, and crush them up, feed em back in the oyster shell container...theyGOBBLE them right up!

Thanks for the information. Today, they are all squatting - so funny . I've tried to submit some pics but they aren't loading, will try again.

 

[nakstk]

I normally buy my feed from the little locally owned and operated feed/hardware store. Normally I pay $14.49 for a 40# bag of layer pellets.The brand name is Albers which is made by Purina. Wilco opened up in the nest town up from me which is only 11 miles away. I got a postcard from them and they had their Purina layer pellets 50# bag for 1/2 off @ $17.99. So I bought two bags I couldn't pass that up and its probably the same formula that my girls already eat since Albers parent company is Purina. Also if you happen to forget your postcard at home like I did if you just tell them you forgot it they have more at the registers. Thinking about going back WITH my coupon and buying another 100#.

 

[Melabella]

I normally buy my feed from the little locally owned and operated feed/hardware store. Normally I pay $14.49 for a 40# bag of layer pellets.The brand name is Albers which is made by Purina. Wilco opened up in the nest town up from me which is only 11 miles away. I got a postcard from them and they had their Purina layer pellets 50# bag for 1/2 off @ $17.99. So I bought two bags I couldn't pass that up and its probably the same formula that my girls already eat since Albers parent company is Purina. Also if you happen to forget your postcard at home like I did if you just tell them you forgot it they have more at the registers. Thinking about going back WITH my coupon and buying another 100#.

I just LOVE when things like that work out. All of that is greek to me though. We all have such different stores. Is Wilco like an Agway? Sell all sorts of animal feed? Do you store your feed in a big aluminum garbage can like I do? How long with a 50# last you?

I have my girls on an Agway brand called Hearty Hen Layer. I truly wanted to feed Countryside Organics, but they don't have a drop anywhere near my area, and the shipping was cost prohibitive. I was happy to find this, even though it isn't organic, it is made with natural ingredients, and most importantly,,, NO SOY. For medical reasons, I must stay away from soy, and was so happy to find it! 50# is $18.99. My yokes are a rich orange color, and it's winter. I think maybe from the marigold extract.
Here is the product label.

 

[nakstk]

Melabella they must be similar. Wilco has stuff for most all breeds of animals, it has work clothes, boots, hats and then it have a hardware store in it too. It is new to this local area. There are a few more in the bigger cities that have rural areas near by. I like it but it can be a bit spendy. I got some new rubber boots and a pair of Ariat boots today too. I got a $40 gift card for Christmas that I spent. So I ended up getting the 2 pairs of boots and the 100# of feed for $88.14 The Ariat boots alone were $89 so I was really excited.

Most all of the Layer feed over here is a 16% Protein.Unless you get HiLay and that's 22% I don't have a scanner other wise I would scan the feed tag so we can compare. Here is the link to the feed that I got today. http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/Products/Layena/default.aspx I got 1 egg today from Phoebe my Wellie, but the rain and clouds came back today. ugh My EE in 39 weeks old and still no egg.
My 8 chickens go through about 40 lbs a feed in 4 to 5 weeks.


By the way, How is your finger?

 

[Melabella]

Melabella they must be similar. Wilco has stuff for most all breeds of animals, it has work clothes, boots, hats and then it have a hardware store in it too. It is new to this local area. There are a few more in the bigger cities that have rural areas near by. I like it but it can be a bit spendy. I got some new rubber boots and a pair of Ariat boots today too. I got a $40 gift card for Christmas that I spent. So I ended up getting the 2 pairs of boots and the 100# of feed for $88.14 The Ariat boots alone were $89 so I was really excited.

Most all of the Layer feed over here is a 16% Protein.Unless you get HiLay and that's 22% I don't have a scanner other wise I would scan the feed tag so we can compare. Here is the link to the feed that I got today. http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/Products/Layena/default.aspx I got 1 egg today from Phoebe my Wellie, but the rain and clouds came back today. ugh My EE in 39 weeks old and still no egg.

By the way, How is your finger?

Oh thanks for remembering! Still smarting,, but healing fast! I swear, I put some NuStock on it, and I think it's really helping. Only problem is when I was mucking stalls, it would go completely numb... So cold here.

Wilco sounds just like a store here Tractor Supply. Sells clothing, feed, cages, and all tools and electic supplys, fencing, etc, etc....

Nice you were able to get some new things, having the gift card makes it all happen! I have been lusting for a pair of Ariat boots, and they just got marked down online at Big Dee's. Trying to hold out to maybe another mark down, but then worried they won't have my size.

What color is your EE,, I would love to get some next year. I have to be careful not to get to many for the area I have for them. They can really be distructive on the surrounding area! Hopefully everything will grow so nice and green in the spring.. seems so far away doesn't it?

Stay warm!

MB

 

[nakstk]

What color is your EE,, I would love to get some next year. I have to be careful not to get to many for the area I have for them. They can really be distructive on the surrounding area! Hopefully everything will grow so nice and green in the spring.. seems so far away doesn't it?

This is my EE Greta. This pic was taken over the summer


this was last week.

We just went through and planned out our garden(s) for this Spring. We live on a city lot so we don't have a lot of room but our friend has 15 acres and we are planting most of our garden at his place and the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions here at our place. We are getting our seeds from Territorial Seed Company, They are out of Oregon so most of the plants are used to our climate. We are getting Heirlooms so we can save the seeds for next year too. I can't wait for Spring, but of course I say that about every season. lol My hubby teases me about that.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I have an EE that looks almost exactly like your Greta. Pretty! I can't wait to see what color egg mine lays.

I'v been busy making garden maps for this spring and summer. It'll be time to seed indoors soon! We can't plant in the ground here until after Mother's Day. I'm itching to till some compost into the garden plot, and mark the zones, but the ground is rock solid. *sigh*

I had an idea for some raised beds in my chicken run this summer. I was thinking about building a couple of deep beds, then seeding them, and covering them with chicken wire. That way the plants will grow several inches before the chickens can start eating them. And then I can reseed them. Now I'm just trying to decided what to plant. I have to limit my girls' free ranging a little more in the summer. The chickens destroy the garden, and we have more predator problems then too.

 

[nakstk]

Brooster they are so pretty huh! I too can't wait to see what color egg she lays. It's been such a LONG waiting game. The two Wellies I got at the same time started laying in Oct.

I just read the book "From Seed to Skillet" http://www.fromseedtoskillet.com/index.html There was some great info on companion plants. We haven't been gardening for too long I think we are in our 5th year. My hubby and I and trying to teach our children more about "real" food. Our boys are 10 and 16. We raised pigs and chickens up at our friends place last year and did our own butchering, cutting, smoking/curing, canning and freezing of the meat. The boys could definitely tell the difference in the taste and texture of the home grown meats. They helped with all of it. We just want our boys to know how to do things for themselves and to eat healthier. Our families both have health issues, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and such. I want my boys to know how to eat to stay healthy. Our chickens were just the start. They were a way of teaching where "real" food comes from not just from Dad's work. (hubby is a meat wrapper at Fred Meyer) I guess it's just the life lessons that are being forgotten by many that I want my kids to learn. I love meeting new friends and learning new things along the way!

 

[kdwag]

NAKSTA, beautiful bird--Would love to add a couple of EEs to my small but growing flock. Here is one of my barred rocks and my RIR, i think she'll be my first layer.