Arizona Chickens

[meetthebubus]

@cactusrota sounds like a handful!
If these one are flighty it won't be a problem bc of the 360 enclosure

 

[Bobby Basham]

If those eggs there are the one's that you thought would hatch with the other 2, I'm not seeing it. They look like dud's to me. Try holding the egg big side up and shine the light in the small end. Hold the egg up where you can still see what's in the bottom.

I agree. If those eggs were laid by the same hen and INCUBATED at the same time, there should be more development in those eggs and those babies should be ready to bust out.

 

[DesertChic]

Here are the four eggs.
View attachment 1257800 View attachment 1257801 View attachment 1257802 View attachment 1257803
The first two were definitely "fuller". Sorry for the terminology. Not sure the proper wording. The last two had something, but not to the extent of the first two. I didn't see any movement.

All four of those eggs are duds. Pitch 'em and let Mama hen focus on her hatchlings.

 

[Bobby Basham]

All four of those eggs are duds. Pitch 'em and let Mama hen focus on her hatchlings.

I'm surprised in that Pic that she wasn't hunkering down on them and growling at you when you retrieved them. So, she probably knows that they aren't viable.

 

[igorsMistress]

@BlueBaby. Here's a pic of the blue girls. If you look closely the lighter girl has a few dark flecks. I found a rubber egg on the poop board where the darker girl was roosting last night so they may both be layers now.
EDIT: Actually I think it was one of the NNs rather than these girls based on where I found it.

 

[Jadesun6]

I'm surprised in that Pic that she wasn't hunkering down on them and growling at you when you retrieved them. So, she probably knows that they aren't viable.

Oh she was! I got pecked a couple of times.

 

[BlueBaby]

@BlueBaby. Here's a pic of the blue girls. If you look closely the lighter girl has a few dark flecks. I found a rubber egg on the poop board where the darker girl was roosting last night so they may both be layers now.View attachment 1257997

That darker girl looks almost like Zhanne did when she was about that age. Zhanne is currently my oldest hen here now and is a pure Rattlesnake Ridge line. My Blue Roo is 1/2 Rattlesnake Ridge line, and 1/2 Hupp line. After Zhanne molted this time, the blue in her body feathering is more evenly colored this time.

 

[Jadesun6]

@BlueBaby. Here's a pic of the blue girls. If you look closely the lighter girl has a few dark flecks. I found a rubber egg on the poop board where the darker girl was roosting last night so they may both be layers now.View attachment 1257997

They are so pretty!

 

[Jadesun6]

Thanks everyone for the help on the eggs. I took them out today.

 

[MagicChicken]

And I've been seriously leaning toward that. As long as they're elevated, floor space isn't compromised and less of a headache to construct.

I kinda like the nostalgic look of hens sitting in nest boxes not tucked away in a wall. It just brings back those farm memories for me.

I've read some posts a long time ago where two-legged thieves were helping themselves to some eggs from external nest boxes. My run will be secure and padlocked, so that shouldn't be an issue.

I would put the nest boxes high enough so the chickens can walk under, but lower than the roosts. That way they won't be tempted to sleep in the nest boxes. They usually squabble over the higher perches.