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

[kacklinkelly]

 

[Spikes Chooks]

Katrina,

Love the picture of Spike in your avatar. We had a lovely red cat just like that when I was young... simply named "red" He was a wonderful cat, actually all our cats were. Can't have any in the house here,, husband highly allergic. I would love to find a cat in need of a new home for the barn.. would have to be a good mouser, and of course,, not go after the chickens.

We found it really easy to train Spike (I was worried because he stalks little lizards and birds in the garden). First, I went and sat with him outside the run, watching the chickens. Then went in, so he was still outside and he could see me tending to them. And the chickens on my lap. I thought his eyes would pop out of his head! When I came out, I gave him lots of attention and praise.

Once I started letting the girls free range, I locked him away till they knew the garden and were confident, maybe two weeks. Then I started letting Spike come out for about 10 minutes a day of supervised contact. I called his name if he stared too hard or moved towards them. Or put myself between him and the chickens, turning to give him lots of fuss. Sometimes treats. He soon learnt I didn't want him to stalk them, that I gave him more attention and treats if he ignores them and I guess that, after a while, they're just not that interesting!

I sit outside on our deck in the late afternoons, feeding the local native birds, hanging out with Spike next to me, and the chickens doing their thing in the garden. He doesn't like it if they get too close to me on the deck - and I don't encourage them there becasue of the mess they make. Spike will just get down and herd them off and back towards the garden beds. There have been no dramas between them, even when Beetle went right up to him asleap. They both just stared at each other, then wandered off.

Maybe I've been lucky, but I think a little supervision at the beginning and you could have a mouser living in the barn that left the chickens alone. I love ginger cats - sooo much personality!
Katrina

 

[CatSol]

WOW we are so close to a BIG number of post. So glad I had a min to stop by and catch up. MB love that shed... it is way to cute. I hope you get it. And that pic of you and your husband riding is fun. I am happy for you and all here...
Congrats everyone on there eggs. I had another 2 egg day. Watching Amber every day to see if she is getting closer. At least this time it is fun and not as stressful as the first time I was waiting for a new layer. Can hardly wait for my first brown egg....
Good luck everyone... I hope you all have as wonderful day as today...(opps.. did not realize it was so late) ... as yesterday was. Got to get to bed. Good night

 

[kdwag]

So, I've seen people post questions about whether a chicken can lay twice in one day but never saw the answers. Last evening as I was closing up the coop I happened to look down and found that someone laid an egg with a very soft shell,like a water balloon. nice size too. Everyone yesterday laid an egg so someone did lay 2x. Odd or normal?? Cold and windy today-- ugh
Happy Wednesday.

 

[debbie_nibbles]

We have the 6 layers going steady now My girls have been laying daily getting 5-6 eggs a day

Rosie our BA everyday this month! WOW! Such good girls!!!

 

[Melabella]

So, I've seen people post questions about whether a chicken can lay twice in one day but never saw the answers. Last evening as I was closing up the coop I happened to look down and found that someone laid an egg with a very soft shell,like a water balloon. nice size too. Everyone yesterday laid an egg so someone did lay 2x. Odd or normal?? Cold and windy today-- ugh
Happy Wednesday.

From everything I have read on here... odd,,, AND even though rare,, it's normal! I had 9 eggs the other day, full pullet count. I went out to the boxes to tidy up and put some fresh hay in, and I found the smallest egg I have had to date. If all 9 girls weren't laying, I'd just assume it was a new layer, but I all ready had 9 normal sized egg that day. Someone later in the day obviously had a small little blurp egg. I was going to weigh it, but like the clutz I am, it rolled off the kitchen table when I banged into it slilghtly before i could get it to the scale. I did manage to snap a few photos of the side that didn't crack. I also took a picture of the yolk,,, it was so tiny, and even though it was a small barely there yolk... get this... it was still fertile!!! That Duke cracks me up.... every single egg I have opened has been fertile... every one! Wish he was some super duper Heritage breed dude!

Here are the pics..


Next to a 48g egg (why do my hands look fat?)


Small yolk, but still fertilized!



Both yolks, this was the tiniest yolk, looks bigger here!

I also had a paper egg once.. I reached in to grab it, and it scared me because it was so soft. I opened it up and it looked totally normal, so I ate it, and then afterward read on here, you aren't supposed to eat them because bacteria can penetrate the egg quite easily due to there being no shell. I'm still here, so i guess I got lucky! Here is a picture of my balloon/paper egg





I have the blacksmith coming today to take the snow shoes off the horses, and put on regular shoes. Of course this means we will have another snowstorm, just to put me over the edge! Say a wish prayer for good luck for me today, I have a woman coming back to take a second look at my Haflinger Molly. I just don't have the time for her, and she needs a job. Too much money to have an eating lawn ornament, although she makes the most manure! I will miss her when I have my compost system in! Here is a picture of her.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Congrats to all the new eggs!!!! SO many new eggs yesterday!

Quote:

Great picture MB!

I need ideas! I finally moved the chickens into our backyard shed. They love to sleep in there and really like that the dogs can't come and snitch their veggies treats but despite numerous nest boxes and a much more secure area little Hermia is having NONE of it. She resolutely goes back every day to the old copp and screams bloody murder until someone opens it so she can lay an egg in there. I really need to take it down because some serious storm damage is making it not the sturdiest enclosure. Anyway, I want to stress her as little as possible especially since she is my only layer right now. Any ideas? I even sprinkled the same lavendar into the new boxes hoping that the similar smell would encourage her. But no. It doesn't help that she is the worlds most stubborn Bantam.

I agree with everyone who's already said it, but yes, you are going to have to put them in lockdown until they get used to the new quarters. At the very least, remove the old coop. It might take a few days, but she'll adapt. It's funny what creatures of habit chickens are. I have one hen who refuses to go into the coop after I put down new bedding. It'll be dark outside, and all the other girls are roosting, but she'll be standing outside the door shrieking like a maniac. I have to go out and toss her into the coop. She just hates new pine shavings.


Quote: It doesn't sound that different from our predators (except for the pythons...WHAT!?). I also had to bury a 4 foot wide hardware cloth skirt around our coop and up the sides. SO expensive, but totally worth it. I had a bobcat problem. It's hard to keep them out!

Quote: I agree with Katrina. Our cats actually love the chickens. They hang out with them all day. Our big fat ginger cat likes to nap in the coop, and both cats are great mousers. If you keep Duke around a little longer, you might not have to train the cats at all. Our younger cat, Tuna, got his butt kicked by a mean rooster. It was pretty hilarious.

So it's snowing here again. Great. Today is lockdown for my next hatch, but I'm not sure when I'm going to have time to candle all those eggs. My employees are on spring break which means extra work for me. I remember when I had spring breaks....

 

[KnobbyOaks]

So, I've seen people post questions about whether a chicken can lay twice in one day but never saw the answers. Last evening as I was closing up the coop I happened to look down and found that someone laid an egg with a very soft shell,like a water balloon. nice size too. Everyone yesterday laid an egg so someone did lay 2x. Odd or normal?? Cold and windy today-- ugh
Happy Wednesday.

Funny you should mention this. The other day (Monday) when Audrey laid an egg by herself late in the day and nobody was there for her, she then went out to where the rest of them were. After I came in and posted about her, I went back out and she was out there all puffed up, she was closing her eyes and I noticed that Nina was there with her and eating something. It was a shell-less egg. I dispatched Nina and got rid of the egg innards but Audrey wouldn't move. So I watched her and after a while I went to get the dog kennel to put her in because I couldn't leave her out there after dark, she perked right up and headed for the coop. She was back to her old self the next morning performing faux-roo duty. That was two eggs in about 15 minutes.

 

[Chicken face]

Here's my first 28 eggs in an Egg Skelter that I just got.

Sometime today I will crack my first egg or two.






Where did you get this, and where can I get me one? I LOVE Amazon, but they have nothing like this.

 

[Chicken face]

we only get 12-13 sunlight hours a day and still we had that time change still no eggs this is there 5th day with no eggs!!!!!!!!!!!! slackers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FYI....time change adds no hours of sunlight.