First Egg Countdown

[Nelson-90]

The Barnie is only 25 weeks old today. It was really just a mental note on my part, I'm not playing the waiting game with her. If that BCM weren't so dang cute, I'd be mad at her. The Welsummer has only laid about 2 eggs per week so far though. lol. The EE's and Red stars are making up for the slackers, so it's all good.

2 of my Dominiques and 2 of my Partridge Rocks are molting. Man, that was like a light switch! Suddenly so many feathers everywhere, I thought there were multiple chickens attacked by hawks! One poor little dom looks like there's nothing to her! Makes me wonder if my chickens are too skinny. I have upped the protein and and put vitamin/electrolyte powder in the water 3 days a week to help them through the molt. Will all my year-olds molt this fall, or only some?

Here is Pee Wee, my Barnevelder. This pic is a few weeks old.

it migth happen but it seems to me you are doing n awesome job helping them with their molting and your chicken looks gorgeous

 

[RoaringBravado]

So we have five hens - 1 Hyline (came to us already laying and 20weeks old at the time, in July), 2 Buff Orps and 2 RIRs. Our Buffs and RIRs hatched sometime in late March/early April. And until today, only our Hyline has been laying - yes, a bloody long wait.

Holy moly, what a wait!

But today, one of our Buffs, the one with the largest comb and wattle, laid her first egg!

The Buff, named "Shelley":




And her first egg (the smallest one on the left):



It's small, but perfect. And to make it even better, she used the nesting box on her first try! Good girl, Shelley! I have praised her mightily

Now, for the other three to start....

An update to our Buff's first egg - she took Saturday off, but laid again yesterday, and wow, it was huge (and a double-yoker). It's the one of the far left.




Also, one of our RIRs, the one that has been squatting too, laid her first egg today!

It was small, but otherwise perfect.

Only two gals to go!

 

[suppersong]

Hello everybody, I've been visiting BYC for chicken advice for months, but this is my first post. I got my 8 chooks as day-olds on May 10th, so they turned 21 weeks old today. To celebrate, one of my Barred Rocks, One Patch (she's the one pictured as my avatar), laid the very first egg of the whole flock!

She was the first to have red comb & wattles, the first to squat (about 2 weeks ago), and the first to start acting super-freaky (as of yesterday). She'd been complaining and pacing and going in and out of the nest box for two days! and pecking at anyone who looked like they might get between her and her box. A bit before 1pm today, she finally settled into the box and suddenly quieted down (just as I was thinking of going inside again and Googling "egg-laying behavior" for the umpteenth time). When she left the box, she was acting so casual I thought she'd maybe given up for the day--no egg song or anything--but when I went to check, there it was! Little lovely brown egg, just the size of the wooden dummy egg I'd put in to show the girls where to lay. Almost as if she saw the dummy and decided she'd better make one just like it!





Smart little chook!

I did a longer post on my blog. First Egg! in case it is of interest. Thanks to all you BYC'ers who have made my wait less anxious and more informed over the last few weeks.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Congrats!

 

[MissusC]

Hello everybody, I've been visiting BYC for chicken advice for months, but this is my first post. I got my 8 chooks as day-olds on May 10th, so they turned 21 weeks old today. To celebrate, one of my Barred Rocks, One Patch (she's the one pictured as my avatar), laid the very first egg of the whole flock!

Mine are the same age! I am dying over here!!!

 

[off-grid hen]

The first egg is such a gift! Congratulations!

 

[suppersong]

Mine are the same age! I am dying over here!!!

It will happen! Never fear! How are they doing on the other signs--red comb/wattles? egg squat? restlessness? So fascinating to watch their changing behavior...

 

[MissusC]

It will happen! Never fear! How are they doing on the other signs--red comb/wattles? egg squat? restlessness? So fascinating to watch their changing behavior...

Yes, we've had the scarlet comb/wattles and squatting for over 5 weeks with one of the girls and nothing. The rest are starting all of it. It has been ungodly hot here so I am hoping when it cools down we will start getting some eggs.

 

[suppersong]

Yes, we've had the scarlet comb/wattles and squatting for over 5 weeks with one of the girls and nothing. The rest are starting all of it. It has been ungodly hot here so I am hoping when it cools down we will start getting some eggs.

I actually envy you the heat--it's been a week of mud and New England rain here. But what a magnificent coop you guys built! I'm sure there will be magnificent eggs to match soon. I got no egg today, but one of my Araucanas has been in and out of the nesting boxes all day.

My 6 yo ate the first egg hardboiled today. She said it was great. Now waiting my turn!

 

[off-grid hen]

Suppersong- Welcome to BYC! I meant to say so earlier, but I forgot.

I just want to say that my two red stars/golden comets lay like clockwork every morning before the sun even comes up completely. I fear for their future reproductive health, but they are very dependable layers. For now, anyway. I worried about one of them because for about a week she laid duck-sized double yolkers ( ever day) that wouldn't fit in the jumbo cartons. I kept worrying/waiting for her to get egg bound or have one break inside. :/

No eggs from barnevelder yet, and no egg from welsummer in a week and a half but haven't seen her in the nest box. The girls are locked up every day til at least 1:00 so I don't think she's hiding eggs. No egg white mess in nests, on floor of coop, or on hens' faces. Hmmm.