Come On AC we want some eggs!

[bobbieschicks]

I'll check when we get home from the kids morning swim meet and I'll do the check of her vent to see if she's dry? I think that was another indicator.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh well, I guess it was wishful thinking. Must have been one of the other girls who maybe had something go screwy. Too bad. Her vent looks dry as the Sahara.

I'm so wanting her to lay JUST ONE EGG AT LEAST!

 

[rirbrahma]

Try putting some Cayenne pepper in her food.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Try putting some Cayenne pepper in her food.  

I'd love for hat to work. I've done that many times now without success.

 

[rirbrahma]

I've read that some chickens( it's very rare) just aren't ment to lay... I still have hope for AC!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh no say it isn't so.

 

[bobbieschicks]

She is definitely not laying yet, but she is getting quite a bit of action from the Ameraucana cockerel. But come to think about it, she used to get the same level of attention from the White Leghorn. So apparently that isn't a reat indicator of nearing the laying stage.

When AC! Tell me! When?!?!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Hey AC! Happy birthday!

We're both 50 now - I'm 50 years and you're 50 weeks old!

Still waiting for my egg...

 

[bobbieschicks]

Happy birthday to you, AC! You are now 1 year old. You've out lived a few of your coopmates and kept your number two ranking like a pro. Congratulations!

If only you were laying my joy in you would be complete. I love to see you run up to me and even like it that you want to roost on my head, not the actual roosting part but the wanting part is what I like.

What shall become of you? Will you be my old hen who never lays? I completely understand not being able to have offspring as I have experienced the same loss of being able to have biological children. But I willingly accepted the young ones God gave to me to raise. Do I take pity on you who are unable to brood as well?

What shall become of you? I guess I'll worry about that another day because today is your birthday and we celebrate you today! Not what we want for you, or what might have been, but that we were blessed to have known you. I love you AC.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Okay - I know, I know, I know - I'm a whimp! She's now a week past her 1 year birthday and still no eggs.

A prudent chicken farmer would have culled her at 19 weeks when she didn't produce - but I kept waiting thinking..."tomorrow she'll lay" and now it's been several weeks worth of tomorrows.

I guess I haven't the heart to give her the axe yet.

But I must be contemplating it because I noticed that out of 12 chickens only 7 are layers and right now only 5 actually laying (2 are broody). That's almost half of the chickens taking up space, eating the food and producing nothing to the flock except strife (

with 2 large fowl roosters). And once I start thinking of one of them as a number rather then a name I can easily rehome or refrigerate them.
The 2 LF roosters will be rehomed or processed by Friday. A friend is wanting them, but hasn't picked them up yet - the time limit is because my broody pullets are hatching their chicks on Thursday!

As much as I enjoy AC's story and seeing her in the yard - I'm not sure I want to continue to feed a nonproducing chicken. My DH is already not happy with my choice to keep her or well any of the chickens for that matter.