Easter Egger Thread!

[Coturnix Quail]

Got my first eggs today! About a month early!! (The actually started laying secretly 2 days ago, so there were in total 5 eggs.) The coop isn't the cleanest right now, so one of the RIR meat-birds decided she was laying IN the bag of shavings! Silly lil' girl!! I got 2 eggs from her. I don't really look in the nesting box, but after I noticed the first eggs, I looked, and saw 3 little bantie beige eggs! Assuming it's from my BR Bantam because I only have one other bantam and its the EE 3 of those. I ate one brown one for dinner, and it tasted SO fresh!! I love it. So proud of my girls.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Got my first eggs today! About a month early!! (The actually started laying secretly 2 days ago, so there were in total 5 eggs.) The coop isn't the cleanest right now, so one of the RIR meat-birds decided she was laying IN the bag of shavings! Silly lil' girl!! I got 2 eggs from her. I don't really look in the nesting box, but after I noticed the first eggs, I looked, and saw 3 little bantie beige eggs! Assuming it's from my BR Bantam because I only have one other bantam and its the EE 3 of those. I ate one brown one for dinner, and it tasted SO fresh!! I love it. So proud of my girls.

That's awesome -- congrats on your first eggs!
I got my first on 9/9 and then nothing until today. At least not that I know of -- could be eggs in bushes. I was working in their house today to put up the poop boards and roosts I made and all of sudden noticed Raven (Barred Plymouth Rock) in the nest box. She was in their for at least 1/2 an hour making a nice little round nest and turning around. So, I just hung out quietly in and around the house. She made a few bok bok bok's and hopped out and came outside. I picked her up and we looked at the egg and I told her what a good girl she was and sat her near the water bowl. I had a feeling it was probably her that laid the 1st egg the other day.

It's pretty common, and the dry pox has a very low mortality rate in healthy chicks, so all the others will be fine. The only reason my little gal might pass is because she didn't have much weight to lose.

MamaHenn11 -- how is your chicken doing?

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Forgot to mention, when I was starting to put up the poop boards I had my mom come out to assist me with something. All of the chickens were in the yard - including Cocoa who's been "in jail" in the evenings. Pearl spends a lot of his time over the fence in the backyard when Cocoa is out. Well, Pearl ended up sitting with mom and I in the chicken house most of the afternoon. I even had to keep pushing his tail out of the way so I could some screws in. He is just the calmest guy -- except when either of the other boys are after him.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

That's awesome -- congrats on your first eggs!
I got my first on 9/9 and then nothing until today. At least not that I know of -- could be eggs in bushes. I was working in their house today to put up the poop boards and roosts I made and all of sudden noticed Raven (Barred Plymouth Rock) in the nest box. She was in their for at least 1/2 an hour making a nice little round nest and turning around. So, I just hung out quietly in and around the house. She made a few bok bok bok's and hopped out and came outside. I picked her up and we looked at the egg and I told her what a good girl she was and sat her near the water bowl. I had a feeling it was probably her that laid the 1st egg the other day.


MamaHenn11 -- how is your chicken doing?

Forgot to mention, when I was starting to put up the poop boards I had my mom come out to assist me with something. All of the chickens were in the yard - including Cocoa who's been "in jail" in the evenings. Pearl spends a lot of his time over the fence in the backyard when Cocoa is out. Well, Pearl ended up sitting with mom and I in the chicken house most of the afternoon. I even had to keep pushing his tail out of the way so I could some screws in. He is just the calmest guy -- except when either of the other boys are after him.

Thank you!! I really want to meet Pearl after seeing how aggressive my roo is. HE'S JUST TOO CUTE!!

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Thank you!! I really want to meet Pearl after seeing how aggressive my roo is. HE'S JUST TOO CUTE!!

Pearl would probably love to meet you too! He is sweet -- hope he stays that way. Cocoa, the other EE roo is still being aggressive. The RIR roo Red Rider doesn't go out of his way to attack me or the other guys, but he will definitely protect his flock.

 

[MamaHen11]

That's awesome -- congrats on your first eggs!
I got my first on 9/9 and then nothing until today. At least not that I know of -- could be eggs in bushes. I was working in their house today to put up the poop boards and roosts I made and all of sudden noticed Raven (Barred Plymouth Rock) in the nest box. She was in their for at least 1/2 an hour making a nice little round nest and turning around. So, I just hung out quietly in and around the house. She made a few bok bok bok's and hopped out and came outside. I picked her up and we looked at the egg and I told her what a good girl she was and sat her near the water bowl. I had a feeling it was probably her that laid the 1st egg the other day.


MamaHenn11 -- how is your chicken doing?

Thanks for asking! She was still kicking this morning, but I'm very worried. She's dropped 12% of her body weight in about 4days. So, hopefully she'll turn the corner soon before she is starving and can't recover.

ETA: her 'sister' of the same age/breed weighs 170grams, but little Kip only weighs 88.

 

[MamaHen11]

Has anybody kept a bird in isolation before? I really am hesitant to re-introduce my Gretchen to the flock. It has been over four days since she was isolated. But the other chicks still have feathers coming in and I'm worried this will just pique her curiosity again and cause her to relapse. How long is too long? I don't want to stress her so much that she starts picking her own feathers, but I'm kind of thinking that keeping her separated until the other chicks feathers are mostly in might be the best course of action. Thoughts?

ETA: I answered my own question with this one. I thought about it after I wrote that and thought to myself 'if it takes the other chicks having all their feathers for her to not pluck their feathers, she's never not going to pluck the feathers. Therefore, four days should be enough to where the other birds will probably give her A frosty welcome and hopefully relieve her when she pecks them'.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Thank you!! I really want to meet Pearl after seeing how aggressive my roo is. HE'S JUST TOO CUTE!!

Let all the chickens out for a few hours late this afternoon. Opened backyard gate so they could dust bathe in their favorite stump. Mom and I were sitting on back porch to smoke and Cocoa tried to pick a fight with Pearl. Guess where Pearl ran to? He got up on the steps behind us and hid behind mommy's back heheh. Mom leaned out of the pic.

Has anybody kept a bird in isolation before? I really am hesitant to re-introduce my Gretchen to the flock. It has been over four days since she was isolated. But the other chicks still have feathers coming in and I'm worried this will just pique her curiosity again and cause her to relapse. How long is too long? I don't want to stress her so much that she starts picking her own feathers, but I'm kind of thinking that keeping her separated until the other chicks feathers are mostly in might be the best course of action. Thoughts?

ETA: I answered my own question with this one. I thought about it after I wrote that and thought to myself 'if it takes the other chicks having all their feathers for her to not pluck their feathers, she's never not going to pluck the feathers. Therefore, four days should be enough to where the other birds will probably give her A frosty welcome and hopefully relieve her when she pecks them'.

If you are able to you might consider taking Kip into the house and give her a lot of small special meals. Maybe a little oatmeal, scrambled eggs or ?? Try some little bits of new things that might interest her. Chicken soup? Put some electrolytes in her water or get a bottle of cheap pedialyte. I hope she begins eating better.

 

[MamaHen11]

Let all the chickens out for a few hours late this afternoon. Opened backyard gate so they could dust bathe in their favorite stump. Mom and I were sitting on back porch to smoke and Cocoa tried to pick a fight with Pearl. Guess where Pearl ran to? He got up on the steps behind us and hid behind mommy's back heheh. Mom leaned out of the pic.



If you are able to you might consider taking Kip into the house and give her a lot of small special meals. Maybe a little oatmeal, scrambled eggs or ?? Try some little bits of new things that might interest her. Chicken soup? Put some electrolytes in her water or get a bottle of cheap pedialyte. I hope she begins eating better.

Every night when I get home I let all the other chickens out for free ranging. Kip gets wrapped in a paper towel and tucked into my pocket or shirt for snuggle and comfort. I always give her fermented feed by hand and tonight I ggave her Nutri Drench in the hopes that that will combat her weight loss a bit. She ate some crumble and summer squash, but probably not a lot of calories. I'm hoping the Nutri drench kickstarts her.

 

[GooseHerder]

My Easter egger's name is Honey. She is one of five Easter eggers! She is friendly and is our only chicken this color. Frequent layer, and she is not very photogenic