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

[xshoshin]

WOO HOO! That first one is so exciting!!! And it appears to have been a very solidly shelled little thing LOL. I hope you have eggs every day....I got my one and only last Thursday...still waiting for them to make it a habit.

Got my first egg!!! And today I got another one!! The whole flock is 20 weeks old and my one and only little white silkie hen led the way! Now I am waiting for all the big girls to follow her example...

Here is the silly story about how I even found the first egg:
Spent a couple hours outside today, letting everyone have some supervised free-ranging... decided to add another roost to the coop as all these new babies I have will need some roosting space eventually. So, I cleaned out the coop pretty good and added a roost. I scooped up all the old shavings out of the nesting boxes, etc. and THREW it all onto the ground, then KICKED it all around the run to add to the deep litter. Then I walked around to grab my hammer and there by the food dish was a little creamy white egg. It had come out with all the bedding I had thrown out and rolled right there. I have no idea what box it was in, or how long it's even been in there!! I have checked every day and never saw it! I put it in the shavings to see how I would miss it and sure enough, it completely disappeared - it was definitely camouflaged. Now I have to be a little more diligent about looking for the eggs.

Here it is next to a store-bought brown egg

 

[xshoshin]

Happy Aggie...and such a pretty one!!!!!

 

[xshoshin]

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

We have 3 cats, and one of them, Little Bit, was absolutely mesmerized by the chicks when they were in the house. We had them in the guest room, in a biiiig cardboard box and were very careful to keep the door shut. Sometimes Bit would come in with us and watch until the day he jumped into the box with them. He's a hunter so we knew that was the end of that "getting to know you" time. A few days later I went in to the chicks in the morning and lo and behold! found Bit IN the chicken box curled up under the light...he had snuck in when I checked on the chicks the night before and spent the whole night in the box with the chicks! Not a one was scratched or even frightened of him...I had a belated heart attack but was so happy he considered them family rather than food!

 

[Crafty chick]

oh, I would have died to find one of our cats in there!

 

[kdwag]

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.

I love Haflingers, would have to have horses but I think way too much work for me. Ha ha This morning while cleaning the coop, I found another paper thin egg apparently laid off the roost, it wasn't even broken-- surprise, but I pitched. Thanks for the info about bacteria, etc. I wouldn't have even given that a thought. I'm wondering if after the 50-60 weather the now 30 weather/snow is messing them up. Calling for windy/cold today and only 40's weekend and 30s again by Tuesday. Ohio weather, love it.

 

[kdwag]

WOO HOO! That first one is so exciting!!! And it appears to have been a very solidly shelled little thing LOL. I hope you have eggs every day....I got my one and only last Thursday...still waiting for them to make it a habit.

That silkie is way too precious.

 

[kdwag]

Hey MB, the camera adds 10 lbs. right? LOL

 

[Chicken face]

Oh chicken face~ I bet you were timing it juuuust right.

I'm not as crafty as you are.

 

[Chicken face]

Oh dear, oh dear. I fried me up 2 of the purdiest eggs you ever saw. Then I sat down at the computer to catch up on BYC, cut it with a fork and shot yolk all over the 1,2,3,q,w,shift,z,control,option keys. Had a napkin handy but the yolk was so thick I couldn't get it up. Do I have to live with the yellow stains forever? Evidently the keys still work just fine. Memories. And the flavor of the eggs was not to be beat.

So many funny thoughts going through my head right now, and I'm afraid to share any of them.

Thanks for sharing it, though. I needed a laugh for the day.

 

[Chicken face]

Got my second egg today. My son rolled it right off the counter. SO ANGRY!!