First egg!

[466956]

Don't think for a second that the exciting needs to end with the first one you find...but congrats on that one...and..when you have older hens that get up in the years like some of my older girls are....the first egg they lay in the Spring when the days get longer (I don't use extra light during winter) are really something special when the hens are 8 years old...keeping them laying longer, has a lot to do with what you decide in regards to supplemental lighting and the longevity of laying...just sayin is all.
Keep havin fun.

bigz

Definitely happy and thankfully that they are all healthy and happy chickens it's been a learning experience! We nursed a sick lavender back to health after a horrible respiratory and worm illness, lost one to a dog attack and another to sickness. I've done so much research and reading on chicken topics than I ever thought I would lol but this forum and other chicken websites have been a saving grace I hope we are lucky enough to keep our girls as long as you have! which breeds do you have?

 

[bigzio]

mek12...first off, it's really good to hear about the research you have done before you started having the little ones...or have learned after they arrived....the learning never ends and that's what makes this so much fun....I give all my extra eggs away to family and friends....it does add up to a lot of eggs, and I always share them fresh...4 doz a week to share is commonplace here and I hope it continues for a long time....folks talk about having a passion to keep them going when they retire....it's been my passion for way longer .....since the 70's for starting without the web for help....I would not change a thing!
Now it's mostly Buckeyes...a single blue Ameraucana,black java and light brahma from previous projects....they all have a home here, because they are pets...treats are a daily thing here when they free range most of the year.

bigz

 

[BYC910]

I have a young lavender orp roo also he was supposed to be a she but he was a nice surprise. We also a couple lavender females so we'll be able to get more true lavender chicks without having to purchase them question... Do you house your roo's offspring (when old enough) with all your other hens and him or keep them housed separate from him?

I don't let broody hens hatch often . If they hatch from a broody they stay with the flock . I thought Dolly was a girl too. He's with a bunch of pullets Just starting to lay . Their supposed to be market birds . All but Dolly that is . He's the only orp I have . I wanted to see what the cross would look like . The eggs are really to small to set yet . The few that are big enough I'm incubating .

 

[466956]

I don't let broody hens hatch often . If they hatch from a broody they stay with the flock . I thought Dolly was a girl too. He's with a bunch of pullets Just starting to lay . Their supposed to be market birds . All but Dolly that is . He's the only orp I have . I wanted to see what the cross would look like . The eggs are really to small to set yet . The few that are big enough I'm incubating .

That's really cool I'll probably let a broody hen hatch some eggs if we are lucky. Good luck with your incubating eggs!

 

[466956]

mek12...first off, it's really good to hear about the research you have done before you started having the little ones...or have learned after they arrived....the learning never ends and that's what makes this so much fun....I give all my extra eggs away to family and friends....it does add up to a lot of eggs, and I always share them fresh...4 doz a week to share is commonplace here and I hope it continues for a long time....folks talk about having a passion to keep them going when they retire....it's been my passion for way longer .....since the 70's for starting without the web for help....I would not change a thing!
Now it's mostly Buckeyes...a single blue Ameraucana,black java and light brahma from previous projects....they all have a home here, because they are pets...treats are a daily thing here when they free range most of the year.

bigz

Wow 4 dozen a week is amazing!! And what an awesome blessing to share with other families! I would love to get a couple blue Ameraucana one day! Yes we love to spoil them with treats too! I love to garden so there's always fresh veggies to share with my chickens, rabbits, family and friends hopefully we'll be able to add eggs to that list too!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Congratulations! The excitement never lessens.

 

[BYC910]

Wow 4 dozen a week is amazing!! And what an awesome blessing to share with other families! I would love to get a couple blue Ameraucana one day! Yes we love to spoil them with treats too! I love to garden so there's always fresh veggies to share with my chickens, rabbits, family and friends hopefully we'll be able to add eggs to that list too!

I get four or five dozen a day this time of year DW is ready to kill me Two refrigerators just for eggs . I have to cook them up and feed them back .How many chickens do I have A few years back after all our old hens had died I went to get some more . I then discovered Marans and Ameraucanas I know it ain't spelled right .Not to mention CCLs Oh yeah I joined the BYC and they made it worse . So watch us cause now you like me is one of us . We'll talk you into incubators and all kinds of breeds

Don't think for a second that the exciting needs to end with the first one you find...but congrats on that one...and..when you have older hens that get up in the years like some of my older girls are....the first egg they lay in the Spring when the days get longer (I don't use extra light during winter) are really something special when the hens are 8 years old...keeping them laying longer, has a lot to do with what you decide in regards to supplemental lighting and the longevity of laying...just sayin is all.
Keep havin fun.

bigz

I'm trying not to get to attached to the ones I have now . One of the last ones we had die was so old she had lost her top beak. I would catch bugs and hand feed her . She was a SLW and was still laying once in a while . Don't tell anyone I don't want them thinking I'm an old softie

Congratulations! The excitement never lessens.

Oh so true .I hatch hundreds every year and still hover around the incubators waiting to see the first pip . I realized yesterday that I still haven't seen the first pip. Always find them already piped . I've seen lots of zipping and hatch's but have never seen that first pip when any I hatch have made it .And there's only so much time one can watch bator TV

 

[466956]

Oh my goodness that is a lot of eggs and chickens!! Wow and I thought my crew ate alot haha speaking of incubators I did try to win one, but no luck. Have you had broody hens hatch eggs before? I was thinking that later down the road if I get a broody that I would give it a try. For now space in the coop is limited so that'll keep me in line from adding more to the flock... I think haha or until I happened upon some irresponsible cute baby chicks

 

[BYC910]

Oh my goodness that is a lot of eggs and chickens!! Wow and I thought my crew ate alot haha speaking of incubators I did try to win one, but no luck. Have you had broody hens hatch eggs before? I was thinking that later down the road if I get a broody that I would give it a try. For now space in the coop is limited so that'll keep me in line from adding more to the flock... I think haha or until I happened upon some irresponsible cute baby chicks

Oh yeah that is the best way. That used to be the only way we hatched . While finding pullets is easy finding day old roosters is hard . Unless you order them so after buying a whole new flock of pullets I decided to hatch some eggs to get my roosters . Dusted off my forty year old incubator and got two more and then bought three GQF cabinets at a auction . Be careful it is very addictive and costly . Some time I'll tell you the whole story of why I decided to go big with chickens . Should you buy a incubator do a lot of research.

 

[TipsyDucklings]

Awesome! The first egg is always so exciting!