First Egg Countdown

[Gifa]

Thanks for the advice, covering is definitely going to be the first thing we do, it's the one thing everyone is saying to try.
I had straw in them but they didn't seem to like that so I switched it to shavings. In the pic I posted I hadn't yet filled them. If I had left them empty, I wouldn't blame them a bit for not liking them!! I wouldn't either! Lol

Ah... I missed that in the first post.

I have hardwood fuel pellets (that have mostly broken down to saw dust) and Stall Dry on the floor of my coop and straw out in my enclosure (Kansas City Ordinance does not permit free ranging), so I used what I raked up after de-thatching my lawn. Basically fluffy mounds of fine, soft, dried grass.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

One of my Welsummer girls laid her first egg today and it's so beautiful!! More than worth the 26 week wait. I know which one did it because the other four have slightly smaller combs, but I expect the rest to start in a couple more weeks. This is compared with a Cinnamon Queen egg, and a cochin egg for fun. I have heard they get a little bit darker with experience, but I would be fine if this hen laid the same color again and again. It looks like a quail egg or something. My customers are gonna love this!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Pretty! Congrats!

 

[Nikki99]

Lookin good!! I love the speckled one!

 

[mrsc1951]

I have 5 hens (4 and 1/2 LOL 4 standard and 1 bantam) that are about 13 months old and have been laying since 1/1/12. That was my New Year's present. I was away for most of month of April and my little bantam went broody. I don't have a roo so I bought her 2 day old babies and slipped them under her during the night. The next morning she had kicked the little babies out of the nest and was running around like nothing had happened so I hand raised the two babies. They are 20 weeks old today! One is an EE and the other is half Cochin and half SLW. Both their faces, combs and wattles are very red and the EE has been checking out the nesting boxes for several days. I am very excited at the prospect of a green or blue egg. Cochins, I know, are typically later layers so I don't have my hopes up for her first egg just yet. My little bantam EE lays a pinky beige egg and the BAs and LBs lay varying shades of brown. The waiting game has officially begun for the first blue or green egg though.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Thanks everyone! Happy Chooks, it's extra special coming from a Welsummer specialist like you! I wish mine were heritage, but I got them from Cackle hatchery. They're friendly in that they'll walk right up to you if you're still, but they aren't the cuddly type. I really love their plumage and egg color though. When yours start, do the eggs eventually get darker?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Thanks everyone! Happy Chooks, it's extra special coming from a Welsummer specialist like you! I wish mine were heritage, but I got them from Cackle hatchery. They're friendly in that they'll walk right up to you if you're still, but they aren't the cuddly type. I really love their plumage and egg color though. When yours start, do the eggs eventually get darker?

My breeder welsummers are very friendly, but not the lap chicken type birds - it's just the way the breed is. That is a very nice egg for a hatchery girl. I haven't had any hatchery wellies, but yes, my eggs to get a bit darker as their bodies get accustomed to laying. Like Marans though, they will lighten over the course of their laying cycle - then they molt, and then the eggs darken again.

 

[off-grid hen]

Simmonsfunnyfrm- I love the egg with the dark speckles! I also love your avatar, what a great pic!

I am now certain my black copper Marans is laying. But the strange thing is, this egg looks more what I thought my welsummer egg would look like. But well... Here we are. The thing is, I have seen them both in the nest box. It could have been luck of the draw that I have seen (or thought it was) the welsummer lay first, or... Well, don't know.

Here is what I think is the Marans egg.

And here are the two eggs together. :shrug:

In the end, it doesn't matter who laid which egg, like them both. They are much darker than the dominique and PR eggs I got before, but I thought maybe the Marans egg would be darker . However, I knew what I was getting when I bought from a hatchery.

I might get some hatching eggs from here on BYC frm breeders to see what I get.

 

[Nelson-90]

Simmonsfunnyfrm- I love the egg with the dark speckles! I also love your avatar, what a great pic!
I am now certain my black copper Marans is laying. But the strange thing is, this egg looks more what I thought my welsummer egg would look like. But well... Here we are. The thing is, I have seen them both in the nest box. It could have been luck of the draw that I have seen (or thought it was) the welsummer lay first, or... Well, don't know.
Here is what I think is the Marans egg.

And here are the two eggs together. :shrug:

In the end, it doesn't matter who laid which egg, like them both. They are much darker than the dominique and PR eggs I got before, but I thought maybe the Marans egg would be darker . However, I knew what I was getting when I bought from a hatchery.
I might get some hatching eggs from here on BYC frm breeders to see what I get.

nice eggs

 

[Flowerbh]

My brown leghorn finally laid her first egg at 2 days away from being 24 weeks old! It was about time!