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

[nakstk]

Newbie question here...what is an egg skelter?

Nice photo album, Ariekannairb ! I need to get some of my pictures uploaded. I didn't think to take a picture of my first full dozen

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-HANDM...-HOLDER-/180892626803?clk_rvr_id=497391318964

This is an egg skelter.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Ariekannairb your EE looks so much like my Gretta that I lost. She waited to lay until she was 39 weeks old. She laid me 5 beautiful green eggs before something took her while she was free ranging with her flock mates. She had a very sweet personality I really miss her.

Sorry for your loss. Your post is giving me some hope that my olive egger may yet get in the groove of consistently laying eggs (aka earning her keep)
She has layed about 5 eggs total over the last 3 months which were all little pullet eggs. She is the biggest of the 3 hens I have. She is now 38
weeks so your post is giving me some hope that I didn't get a dud

. She fakes us out every day. Sits in the nest,
sings the egg song but I think it may be for the others eggs. Squats every time I approach. we'll see.

 

[Ariekannairb]

Ariekannairb your EE looks so much like my Gretta that I lost. She waited to lay until she was 39 weeks old. She laid me 5 beautiful green eggs before something took her while she was free ranging with her flock mates. She had a very sweet personality I really miss her.

We lost one of our other EE birds to dogs a while back. I was so mad! I purchased a chick with my last set to replace her and that one died as well.

 

[Fletch83]

Wow, what a great bunch of posts I've missed! Congrats for all the new eggs...mine are back to the usual 4 out of 5...I'm just resigned to Velcro not laying...apparently being boss chicken is just too demanding.

Haha! It's a lot of work keeping everyone else in line.

 

[CatSol]

Hi everyone. Wow did I miss stuff... I had my computer in the shop getting a tuneup and missed a week of being on-line, It feels so strange to be without a computer ...
Anyway,,, I did lose my Amber. She was a gold-star about 8 months old. She laid a couple of eggs so she could not be egg bound.. She pooed and ate fine till the end. I am going to miss her.
My turkey chicks are growing like weeds and it seems that I do have 2 roos. One is a little Blue Andalusian that I can return. I got 3 chicks from a lady near me that I meet here... She said she would exchange and roo for a pullet. Thrilled. My other is the Americana... He finally tried to crow... it is so funny. He sounds nothing like I thought he would. But he practices so he should get better.
And as I lost Amber... my Buttercup has decided to start early. I had always thought a Buff Orpington would be at least 6 months old. But her first egg she was just a little over 5 months... There are 2 more... they are up next.
Congrats everyone on new eggs... and sorry for the looses out there.

 

[nakstk]

CatSol sorry to hear you lost Amber.
I forgot to post my June egg count. We had such weird weather last month from record high rain fall to 15 to 20 degrees above average high temps. It really through my girls for a loop. I got 111 eggs for June that's with 7 chickens. I was really hoping for a LOT more eggs then that for the month. Last year with only 5 chickens I got 103 eggs. I guess since I have have 3 different girls go broody in the last 2 months it really messed up the laying. Bess I had broke from being broody in a week, Now Mabel is broody I keep taking her off the nest and she is starting to spend more time out with the others before returning to the nest box. I just need them to start laying more. My neighbor has been buying eggs from me at $3 per dozen and she needs them every other day. She is buying enough to pay for their feed for the month!

I had to buy feed for the first time since January. My girls are eating right at 50# a month. I did some price checking. I bought the same feed from the same store and found a big price difference. I have been waiting for another 50% off coupon before I bought feed but There hasn't been any and I was getting close to running out so when it was on sale for $13.49 I bought a bag. It showed that the regular price is now $14.99 back in January regular price was $17.99. I am assuming prices are higher in the winter because of lack of grains and such. But it's still odd that I got a better deal on it back then.


Okay enough of my random thoughts. Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!!

 

[CatSol]

Thanks nakstk, It is sad to see them go so young...

Now I have 7 girls that are laying.... but Buttercup is so new to this. she does not lay every day. I don't think Buff Orps lay much anyway and she did start early. Either way... I am getting plenty of eggs. I have been selling some and giving away to others. Especially when I know it is a friend with limited means. The girls gave us 115 eggs for June. I should keep a better track of the price of feed. I will do that next time I go to the store. I don't remember it being all that much....

 

[kdwag]

Hi all, catching up. So, I wanted to go on a trip with my husband but can't find anyone to take care of these girls for the week, so I guess I'm not going. It makes me sad, it'll be the first time he's gone on a business trip that I haven't had my german shorthaired pointer here with me, snuggling with me at night and being my entertainment during the day. ugh, not looking for to it at all. We have had rain every day for the past 7 days, and there's no end in sight. It's the craziest thing ever, usually we are hot and dry this time of year. The girls have been chasing bugs and getting into trouble. My smallest barred rock has been doing the chicken limbo getting under the fence and into the front yard. -- She's a stinker and remembers the exact spot everytime. I've tried to block it but don't know how long that'll last. The coop construction has begun, but slowly due to the stupid rain, so hoping that will be done before fall. Everyone seems healthy and is laying as normal. i did freeze some eggs but couldn't get them out of the ice cube tray.? ANy suggestions. I wondered if I could spray the tray with cooking oil or something.

 

[countrygirl74]

Hi all, catching up. So, I wanted to go on a trip with my husband but can't find anyone to take care of these girls for the week, so I guess I'm not going. It makes me sad, it'll be the first time he's gone on a business trip that I haven't had my german shorthaired pointer here with me, snuggling with me at night and being my entertainment during the day. ugh, not looking for to it at all. We have had rain every day for the past 7 days, and there's no end in sight. It's the craziest thing ever, usually we are hot and dry this time of year. The girls have been chasing bugs and getting into trouble. My smallest barred rock has been doing the chicken limbo getting under the fence and into the front yard. -- She's a stinker and remembers the exact spot everytime. I've tried to block it but don't know how long that'll last. The coop construction has begun, but slowly due to the stupid rain, so hoping that will be done before fall. Everyone seems healthy and is laying as normal. i did freeze some eggs but couldn't get them out of the ice cube tray.? ANy suggestions. I wondered if I could spray the tray with cooking oil or something.

So sorry you couldn't find anyone - it would be cool if a bunch of us lived in the same town so we could all take care of each other's chickens when out of town!!


On the egg waiting... I am in that position again! My big girls have been real troopers, hardly slowing at all even in 100+ heat. Now I am waiting for my new flock to start. They are getting so big! The oldest in the new ones are about 18 weeks, so anytime! My Naked Neck Turken just turned bright red all of a sudden and started making funny sounds, so I think she might be the first. She's also the one that the roo has been going after so he must know too. We'll see!

 

[nakstk]

I spent about an hour and half out in my yard taking pics of the tadpoles, frogs, dragonflies and I even got a few of my girls. I wanted to post one in particular for the new chicken owners that are waiting for eggs. It's the "squat" you may have seen it or heard about it. If not the "Squat" is when your chicken is coming of age or is ready to be mounted and/or breed. She will squat down and put her wings out. Your pullets and hens will do this even if you don't have a rooster. If you are seeing your girls doing this then be ready for your first egg with in about a week maybe a little longer but usually about a week. This is my Tess squatting for me today.