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

[gmyers]

Nakstk, yes my rooster is mounting them every chance he gets. I've actually seen him mount 5 out of the 9, some of the girls don't want nothing to do with him. A couple of the hens squat, so maybe it won't be long. I thought maybe the rooster keeps them to nervous.

 

[nakstk]

He might, but not enough to keep them from laying. Him mounting them and them squatting are your key indicators that they will be laying soon.

 

[kacklinkelly]

My first day finding a broken egg in the nest box.

I gave my neighbor 4 eggs this am for him to try out. I thought,
no problem I'll get 3 more today. My EE took the day off
and my RIR nice big egg was found splat all over the contents
of the nest box. Oh well. DH and I took our grandson to a
spring fling today. So many adorable chicks and bunnies
not to mention all the fun things for kids to do. I almost brought
home a bunny today but had discipline enough to walk away.

However... I have decided to give an attempt at meat birds.
I hope not to offend anyone here. I am really wanting to bring
healthier food into the family (I feel like I am apologizing
for some reason) Probably because of the looks I have received
from some people I have told in person. Anyway, I picked up 4 cornish
cross today and have done my best not to name them or handle
them more than necessary. My nature would be to snuggle with all of them.

My DH doesn't think I will be able to "do the deed" when the time
comes and does not want that responsibility. I have promised him
that I will do it or find someone who can if I find it too difficult at
that time. He has really grown to enjoy our pet chickens.

Currently, I have the meaties far away from my pet chickens and
am justifying that I will give them the best life I can until it comes time
for them to bless us with meat. Somehow I feel like I can do this
with a cornish cross since that's what they are basically bred for.

As the page turns.....

 

[kacklinkelly]

So not chicken related but I tried my hand at needle felting, amazing I think I'm going to try a chicken LOL


From this wad of wool

to an Orca for the Grand daughter LOL

AMAZING!!!

 

[nakstk]

My first day finding a broken egg in the nest box.

I gave my neighbor 4 eggs this am for him to try out. I thought,
no problem I'll get 3 more today. My EE took the day off
and my RIR nice big egg was found splat all over the contents
of the nest box. Oh well. DH and I took our grandson to a
spring fling today. So many adorable chicks and bunnies
not to mention all the fun things for kids to do. I almost brought
home a bunny today but had discipline enough to walk away.

However... I have decided to give an attempt at meat birds.
I hope not to offend anyone here. I am really wanting to bring
healthier food into the family (I feel like I am apologizing
for some reason) Probably because of the looks I have received
from some people I have told in person. Anyway, I picked up 4 cornish
cross today and have done my best not to name them or handle
them more than necessary. My nature would be to snuggle with all of them.

My DH doesn't think I will be able to "do the deed" when the time
comes and does not want that responsibility. I have promised him
that I will do it or find someone who can if I find it too difficult at
that time. He has really grown to enjoy our pet chickens.

Currently, I have the meaties far away from my pet chickens and
am justifying that I will give them the best life I can until it comes time
for them to bless us with meat. Somehow I feel like I can do this
with a cornish cross since that's what they are basically bred for.

you know my DH thought the same thing about our meaties. But they are SO very different from layers they are like night and day. To me it was like they were so dumb with no personality that it didn't really bug me to help out with the whole processing of them. Right now at Wilco if you buy a 50# bag of starter you get 5 free CX or 10 for a family. Really thinking about it. They only take 6 to 7 weeks til they are ready to butcher. They taste SO MUCH better then store bought birds. Just make sure to let the birds rest for a day after you process before you cook one up other wise they are a bit tough. You can freeze or can them right away. We processed 68 birds last fall, didn't feel like chicken for a few days afterward.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

 My first day finding a broken egg in the nest box. 

I gave my neighbor 4 eggs this am for him to try out.  I thought, 
no problem I'll get 3 more today.  My EE took the day off
and my RIR nice big egg was found splat all over the contents
of the nest box.  Oh well.  DH and I took our grandson to a 
spring fling today.  So many adorable chicks and bunnies 
not to mention all the fun things for kids to do.  I almost brought
home a bunny today but had discipline enough to walk away. 

However... I have decided to give an attempt at meat birds.
I hope not to offend anyone here.  I am really wanting to bring 
healthier food into the family (I feel like I am apologizing 
for some reason)  Probably because of the looks I have received
from some people I have told in person.  Anyway, I picked up 4 cornish 
cross today and have done my best not to name them or handle
them more than necessary.  My nature would be to snuggle with all of them. 

My DH doesn't think I will be able to "do the deed" when the time
comes and does not want that responsibility.  I have promised him
that I will do it or find someone who can if I find it too difficult at 
that time.  He has really grown to enjoy our pet chickens.

Currently, I have the meaties far away from my pet chickens and 
am justifying that I will give them the best life I can until it comes time
for them to bless us with meat.  Somehow I feel like I can do this 
with a cornish cross since that's what they are basically bred for.

As the page turns.....

I process extra roosters for the table. It's understood in our family that if a chick grows up to be a rooster, it's purpose will be to feed us. The nice thing is that the roosters are far less cuddly by that stage, so it's not difficult to let go. Plus, we know who's not going to be kept when they're still young, weeks before they're big enough to process, and we all emotionally distance ourselves.

The first time was really hard for me, but afterwards I felt liberated. I had provided happy healthy food for my family. I knew that chicken had a good life. I felt more connected to the table. These days it's easier. I'm actually training my BF to assist me this summer.

 

[jyurina]

My first day finding a broken egg in the nest box.

I gave my neighbor 4 eggs this am for him to try out. I thought,
no problem I'll get 3 more today. My EE took the day off
and my RIR nice big egg was found splat all over the contents
of the nest box. Oh well. DH and I took our grandson to a
spring fling today. So many adorable chicks and bunnies
not to mention all the fun things for kids to do. I almost brought
home a bunny today but had discipline enough to walk away.

However... I have decided to give an attempt at meat birds.
I hope not to offend anyone here. I am really wanting to bring
healthier food into the family (I feel like I am apologizing
for some reason) Probably because of the looks I have received
from some people I have told in person. Anyway, I picked up 4 cornish
cross today and have done my best not to name them or handle
them more than necessary. My nature would be to snuggle with all of them.

My DH doesn't think I will be able to "do the deed" when the time
comes and does not want that responsibility. I have promised him
that I will do it or find someone who can if I find it too difficult at
that time. He has really grown to enjoy our pet chickens.

Currently, I have the meaties far away from my pet chickens and
am justifying that I will give them the best life I can until it comes time
for them to bless us with meat. Somehow I feel like I can do this
with a cornish cross since that's what they are basically bred for.

As the page turns.....

Good for you! I am thinking the same thing. The four roosters we culled were so much tastier than any bird you can buy at the store, Not to mention that you KNOW that they are being treated well and fed well. No need to apologize, your meat comes from somewhere, might as well be sure it's as healthy as possible. BTW if you have a local butcher shop you can call them and see where to take the birds to be butchered. I took mine up to my sisters house and my BIL and I did it. It wasn't as traumatic as I thought and very quick.

 

[Loghousemom]

My goodness. I have been trying to get caught up here for about a week. Been busy around here.

kdawg: Is your vocal Liza Doo a welsummer by chance? I have one and she is squawking around day and night. In the coop, out of the coop. ALL THE TIME!

melabella: where do you live again? I am feeling your pain at winter. We have been getting snow dusting off and on for 3 days here. I just want the sun to shine and warm things up. Bring on the rain and thunderstorms! I am soooo ready!

xshoshin: I have read of 2 different thoughts on egg eating. Some people say if you feed raw eggs back to your birds that they will continue to eat all the eggs and so you should cook them up first. Others say it is usually a phase that happens when the eggs have thin shells allowing them to crack easier, which leads to the eating. In my experience, the second is usually what happens. (At least with my birds) I have on occasion found a broken egg in the box, and those usually have very thin shells. I typically scoop them out, toss them in the scrap dish and everyone loves them. I have not noticed that it causes any extra egg eating. Since the hens seem to all lay in the same nests, my thinking is the thin egg gets cracked or squished when the next hen goes in.

I do what melabella does and feed the dried shells back to the birds. I usually toss them in a dish of water, rinse then set aside. When I get enough to fill a pan, or need to use the oven, I put them on a parchment covered baking pan and bake. For about 10 minutes. Cool then crush.

Kacklinkelly: ouch! I hope you still have all your toes after your chicken scratch episode!

knobby oaks: I've never had black specks, but sometimes a reddish brown one... Nothing like those blood spots photos either... Someplace I red that those types of things are usually related to some sort of stress to the chicken during the creation of the egg. I usually try and set those eggs aside for the dogs/cats/chickens... I also only seem to get them on occasion from one hen, so maybe it has something to do with that specific hens insides.... I don't know.

 

[Loghousemom]

And, getting back to eggs, I was pretty excited to go out the other day and find that both of my EE decided to lay. It is the first time since October! And it has not happened again since.

Too bad I didn't get them before I took all the eggs in for incubating.


This week the eggs went to school to be placed in the incubator. The 3 classes that wanted to hatch ended up being just one. 1 teacher couldn't get access to an incubator to use, and another teacher had a family emergency and they do not know when she will be returning to teach. I took 24 eggs, and they could hatch all those in the one incubator. (the other 2 classes have made arrangements to "visit")

The teacher with the incubator was not sure she would set all of them, so I will be checking this week to see how things are going, and how many eggs were actually set. According to my calculations, I believe we will be having babies hatch around the second week of April! my daughters are very excited and can hardly wait.

Since we have a variety of birds, I am making a photo sheet for each showing the bird and the egg that goes with it. Along with a picture of a chick (If I can find one for the breed) so the kids can get an idea of what to expect.

 

[Sausanali]

Hi all

I'm a newbie too, I have six barred rocks, they're 17 weeks old, i raised from one day old! I would like to join you guys waiting for the first eggs, I heared they will be laying when they're six month, I think it will be a little while before they start laying. I'm very excited

and can't wait!