First Egg Countdown

[Happy Chooks]

I have a few Icelandics/Wellie/Mutt that all hatched together that have turned really red overnight. So they should be laying soon. They are 17 weeks old now.

 

[Pele]

I have a few Icelandics/Wellie/Mutt that all hatched together that have turned really red overnight. So they should be laying soon. They are 17 weeks old now.

Oh wow, that's a lot better timing than you go last year with your Wellies. Maybe because of the mutt thing. Right now my Faverolles girls are around 20 weeks, and one is actually pinking up in her comb area. It's very exciting!

They got a new house today because they were too big for their baby girl cage. Here they are checking out their new digs. They're bigger than the other chickens now, but too docile to even try to eat with the older hens nearby. *sigh*

 

[chick man]

i have 4 hens that are lying right now they give a medium size egg and when we cooked some of the eggs by the yolk there its very runny kinda like water. any idea why?

 

[ronott1]

Hi Chick Man,

If they just started laying, they may not have egg production going well. I checked a couple of threads and some think runny eggs comes from hot weather and drinking too much water. It gets hot here and the only thing I notice is wetter manure.

Chickens also start laying odd eggs when they get old.

What do you feed them? They should get a complete layer feed when they lay. They can't have too many treats. If I give mine too many treats, they will lay a thin shelled egg.

Things to check:

Intestinal Parasites--take a manure sample to a vet--should cost about $10.00. Treat if worms are found
Feed--layer feed and free choice calcium. I use non-soy, non-corn Organic.
Mites and Lice--check around the vent at night to see both. Treat if found

i have 4 hens that are lying right now they give a medium size egg and when we cooked some of the eggs by the yolk there its very runny kinda like water. any idea why?

 

[chick man]

Hi Chick Man,

If they just started laying, they may not have egg production going well. I checked a couple of threads and some think runny eggs comes from hot weather and drinking too much water. It gets hot here and the only thing I notice is wetter manure.

Chickens also start laying odd eggs when they get old.

What do you feed them? They should get a complete layer feed when they lay. They can't have too many treats. If I give mine too many treats, they will lay a thin shelled egg.

Things to check:

Intestinal Parasites--take a manure sample to a vet--should cost about $10.00. Treat if worms are found
Feed--layer feed and free choice calcium. I use non-soy, non-corn Organic.
Mites and Lice--check around the vent at night to see both. Treat if found

cool will do. not all the eggs just some and its been in the mid 90s already here which is out of the norm. i feed them layer and some scratch grains

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
No, no, no......you misunderstood. I have 6 pure Icelandics, 1 pure wellie and 1 mutt (wellie/light brahma) that all hatched together. A couple of the Icelandics and the 1 mutt are the reddest, so they'll be laying first. They are getting their "big girl" voices now.

And yeah, last year I had that one freeloader that took 11 months to decide to lay. She's broody now and hatching chicks today. Got another broody too, a Barred rock.

Cute little grow out house!

 

[Pele]

Welcome Chick Man! I agree with Ron, it's probably because they are drinking lots of water from the heat. It could also be that you are unknowingly eating older eggs, which tend to be runny (after one week I consider them 'old'. That's the luxury of owning hens!).

 

[CROMANO66]

Peaches and Bertha are my first chickens ever. They are Sex-Links Black Star's I think and it don't matter because they are cute. Peaches and Berth was pellets when I got them, and I can't put a finger on how old they are. ( maybe around 20 weeks ) Bertha surprise me yesterday with her first egg. I was wondering why she was acting strange and was clucking different. It kept my brother and I going back to the coop make sure she was OK. Later my brother give me Bertha's first egg and now today she started up again with the different clucking. I so happy for I had a bunch of people trying to tell me my chickens won't lay because I didn't have a rooster. Bertha made me so proud I keep looking at the egg and smiling. She just laid her second, I put that one in the nesting box and hoping she will started using it. Also because of my girls I went back and got five more- three BR's and two EE's lol they were chicks when I bought them home.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Congrats!

 

[ronott1]

HI and Welcome

Congratulations on the first egg!

Get some Golf Balls for the nest box. Put in one or two.

People say the weirdest things about chickens. Needing the rooster to get eggs is one of the top misconceptions about chickens.

Check out this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...eople-have-said-about-your-chickens-eggs-meat

Ron

Peaches and Bertha are my first chickens ever. They are Sex-Links Black Star's I think and it don't matter because they are cute. Peaches and Berth was pellets when I got them, and I can't put a finger on how old they are. ( maybe around 20 weeks ) Bertha surprise me yesterday with her first egg. I was wondering why she was acting strange and was clucking different. It kept my brother and I going back to the coop make sure she was OK. Later my brother give me Bertha's first egg and now today she started up again with the different clucking. I so happy for I had a bunch of people trying to tell me my chickens won't lay because I didn't have a rooster. Bertha made me so proud I keep looking at the egg and smiling. She just laid her second, I put that one in the nesting box and hoping she will started using it. Also because of my girls I went back and got five more- three BR's and two EE's lol they were chicks when I bought them home.