Easter Egger club!

[KilnChick]

Yay! I have 10 EE's currently. (Pictures shortly) They are my favorite. I love that they all have different colors and feather patterns to distinguish one from the other! Love the personalities! I have one that follows me everywhere and loves being held. I have 2 roosters in the group. So far they are getting along fine. I have 3 older girls. 2 of them just started laying the other isn't far behind. Both laying green eggs. I'm hoping to get different colors out of my other hens! Very sweet temperment. They eat out of my hand. love them!!

Sounds like we have something in common. I too have a chicken who likes to be held, actually more than one. I have 8 Roos! Yep, they all get along. Don't know if its because they have been raised from chicks together or they each know their place? Only problem I have with them is when I let them free range and 1 decides to mount 1 of the hens, they all gather round wanting and trying to mount her, one right after another, like its a competition? But when I'm out there I don't allow that to happen. My neighbors probably think I'm crazy if they hear me outside when this happens, cause I start clapping and yelling..
"HEY, NO GANG BANGING ALLOWED HERE!" Lol
That's why I now supervise them when I let them free range.
Sometimes I'll pick up the hen that's being bombarded and I swear she looks at me with a "oh thank you, you saved me" expression!
I have plenty enough hens for all 8 Roos, don't understand why they do that?

 

[JenifferHartman]

Lol! Its like dogs peeing on a spot another dog has marked I guess!? My 2 roosters are still a little young to pester the hens yet, but they are already bumping chests.

 

[tatertot]

O my...I watched a you tube video on many roosters and one hen...I think they killed her

 

[JenifferHartman]

I've seen that.. poor thing! That's just cruel.. and they just stand there filming. :/ She sure wasn't putting up much of a fight near the end.. I wouldn't be surprised if the roosters did kill her after all that.

 

[iwanaplae2]

Good morning. I had a quick question... This isn't about my EE's, but I usually get the best/quickest responses from you guys
Two weeks (tomorrow) I brought home a new chicken from our local poultry swap. I've been a good girl and kept her quarantined (in an extra large dog crate in my garage). She's obviously healthy. Eyes are clear and bright. No drainage from her nose, healthy appetite, and normal poop. Do you think I really need to continue to keep her quarantined? Or do you think it's ok to get her moved out to the coop with the rest of the girls? She's getting close to laying time. And quite frankly I'd rather she lay in the coop rather than the crate. But I also don't want to endanger my other girls. Thoughts?

 

[Lisa and girls]

Good morning. I had a quick question... This isn't about my EE's, but I usually get the best/quickest responses from you guys
Two weeks (tomorrow) I brought home a new chicken from our local poultry swap. I've been a good girl and kept her quarantined (in an extra large dog crate in my garage). She's obviously healthy. Eyes are clear and bright. No drainage from her nose, healthy appetite, and normal poop. Do you think I really need to continue to keep her quarantined? Or do you think it's ok to get her moved out to the coop with the rest of the girls? She's getting close to laying time. And quite frankly I'd rather she lay in the coop rather than the crate. But I also don't want to endanger my other girls. Thoughts?

My opinion only... I think your fine!

 

[iwanaplae2]

Thanks. I'm looking forward to getting my garage back. Besides I'm sure she's anxious to get out and run around lol

 

[JenifferHartman]

Soo we are building our birds a new coop (converting an old wooden shed and building a run). They are in a make shift coop with a smaller run right now until the new one is finished. They free range during the day. We have 2 hens laying so far. There is one more that won't be far behind those 2, and our others are a couple of months younger so I'm not so much worried about them. The new coop will definitely be done before they start laying. Anyway, my two laying hens have been nesting in the straw bales we keep in the garage. We have nest boxes in their temporary coop, which is the one we keep the younger birds in until they are big enough to defend themselves before we integrate. But they won't lay in there unless I just don't let them out for the day if its raining or something. . They will pace back and fourth in front of the door trying to stick their head through the wire to get out and as soon as I let them loose, they bolt straight for the straw bales in the garage. My concern is that they have made that their designated nesting place and I will have the same problem when I introduce them to the new coop. I know they will need to be left in there for a couple of weeks until they establish the new coop as their home, so I'm hoping during that time they will just get used to laying in there. But is there anything I can do to kind of make the transition easier on them because they really seem to get stressed out when they are not able to get into the garage to lay their eggs :/

 

[mckenzy]

First eggs found hidden yesterday and another in the same hidden spot this morning. This lady is more OE than EE I think. Perhaps the next to start laying (will be my second EE) will lay different colored eggs!? That would be exciting!

 

[insanity]

Can you put the straw bales in the new coop? I have several older hens I got as adults, they were a little upset at first but I just gave them several different options( buckets, milkcrates, wood/ cardboard boxes) and let them pick... they chose an old push lawn seeder that was stored in the corner. Not what I had planned but it works lol. They even lined it with straw by themselves( it was empty)