First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[JessicaThistle]

All of my layers are brown eggs. They are red sex-links, and the egg eating group are Lohman Browns. The Lohmans are the older group and will most likely be exiting the barn door once the pullets are laying.

I agree that he took way too long in between but he did have a huge group of Rhode Island reds that he got from a hatchery that never started to lay. As weird as that sounds, he waited and waited with an egg never appearing. Needless to say, he finally had to let's say....dig a giant hole and open the barn door. Then the wait on a new pullet batch began again.

I think that coupled with a few other things in his life, the excitement wore off and he was ready for a change.

If I had to butcher 200 chickens, I would so need a vodka bath! Hmmm....Ralph, you piqued my interested with the suggestion of a 50 lb barrel of vodka. I better leave here and go look on Amazon and Ebay!!

We will take pics when we have our first mobile until up and bring the first group of girls. I may even do a video but be prepared for the waterworks. Some of these sweet girls haven't been outdoors yet. I have seen videos of production hens being let out on pasture for the first time and watching their confusion and then instincts kick in is the most amazingly touching thing. I'm tearing up now thinking of it.

Ok, off to Ebay for the barrel of vodka!

 

[JessicaThistle]

Oh and Mountain Mom: Yay, the first CX egg is so exciting! and funny looking. Take a pic. I forgot to when Sunny laid hers.

 

[lazy gardener]

I actually sat down and did some reading today. Found recipe and pressure canning instructions for chicken soup and bone in/canned chicken. Looking forward to trying out that pressure canner with the next batch of processed birds. How sweet to be able to open a jar of home made soup on a cold winter's night!!!

 

[mountain mom]

All of my layers are brown eggs. They are red sex-links, and the egg eating group are Lohman Browns. The Lohmans are the older group and will most likely be exiting the barn door once the pullets are laying.

I agree that he took way too long in between but he did have a huge group of Rhode Island reds that he got from a hatchery that never started to lay. As weird as that sounds, he waited and waited with an egg never appearing. Needless to say, he finally had to let's say....dig a giant hole and open the barn door. Then the wait on a new pullet batch began again.

I think that coupled with a few other things in his life, the excitement wore off and he was ready for a change.

If I had to butcher 200 chickens, I would so need a vodka bath! Hmmm....Ralph, you piqued my interested with the suggestion of a 50 lb barrel of vodka. I better leave here and go look on Amazon and Ebay!!

We will take pics when we have our first mobile until up and bring the first group of girls. I may even do a video but be prepared for the waterworks. Some of these sweet girls haven't been outdoors yet. I have seen videos of production hens being let out on pasture for the first time and watching their confusion and then instincts kick in is the most amazingly touching thing. I'm tearing up now thinking of it.

Ok, off to Ebay for the barrel of vodka!

How strange they never started to lay! I wonder if they would have, but were just "late bloomers". Or was there something wrong with them?! Weird.

Did you have any luck locating a 50 gallon drum of vodka? I have half a mind to mount one under the eve of my barn, with a spigot. MMM, vodka on tap!
Maybe I should try my hand a moonshining....

 

[duluthralphie]

Have you ever drank "moonshine"?


You can save yourself hours of brewing time by just drinking gasoline.


I was wondering the same thing about the chickens, how can a whole class of chickens not lay eggs. I would think they had varied enough genetics to not have it be a genetic problem. Even if they were exposed to something that made them sterile, they still should have ovulated at some point or the majority of them would have.

Not that it matters now, it is just a curiosity. There is new management in place so that will not happen in the future.

I think my Alzheimer's flared up yesterday, again.

I went out to lock the chicken coop at around 5pm. I figured they would all be in by then. As I was walking towards the coop I saw a chicken run around the fence followed by another. They were going back and forth around the fence. They were acting like chickens with their heads cut off. I could tell something was wrong.

My first thought was a predator in the coop, but the turkeys were sitting on the fence and not excited at all. I decided I would just have to chase those couple birds into the coop. When I rounded the corner and could see the south side of the coop, I saw a whole flock of chickens outside the coop. One glance told me some dumb (hint: 3 letter word rhymes with sassafras) forgot to open the chicken door. It was closed.

I was sure I had opened it. I did have most the chicken exit the human door yesterday, I threw them some BOSS for treats, fought with the one hen in her nest, collected a dozen eggs and left. Somehow I forgot the chicken door, I feel so stupid and cruel.

I found one egg on the ground right next to the house under 4 chickens. I looked in my covered run and Ethel was in it, She had been locked in the coop and run all day long. She was really telling me off. She was not a happy turkey! The run is open 24 hours a day as it is as secure or more so than my coop.

I only had 4 chickens and Ethel in the coop/run so I only got 2 more eggs. I opened the door and the chickens ran in and went right to the roosts, I am sure they were not happy with me.

BTW the same hen was still in the nest and not happy with me at all, It was nearly dark in the nest box and she was making herself at home there. I am thinking she might be getting broody. Can I just give her some eggs to hatch in the box or is that a bad idea?


On the plus side Bert did not complain overly loudly when I petted him good night. He still thinks he is above being petted though,

 

[mountain mom]

I have actually had some decent moonshine! Some white lightning too, but most of what I have had has been yummy. I guess it is just considered moonshine because it is sold to me illegally. Cough. I mean, "given" to me.

I am sure your chickens and Ethel forgive you today... give them extra treats. I have, more than one time, opened the coop and forgotten to latch the door open. The wind can come out of nowhere and blow it closed, then the gals can't get in. Then they hide under the deck to sleep. It is a mess.

Sounds like your hen is broody! Was she still in the box today? There is always a tell tale "broody poop"... easily mistaken for dog scat. They are giant.
I think if she is broody, give her a few eggs and see what happens! Not all hens are very good moms, from what I read. Some leave the clutch too soon, some peck the eggs, some hurt the babies. But, you will never know if you don't let her sit on a clutch!
I am hopeful Clyde will be coaxed into broodniess by some fake eggs for my JJ and Ethel babies! OOOHHH! I am getting so excited!

I think I have been getting Pearl eggs, and not quite noticed. There were a few that resembled Clyde eggs (silkie) but were slightly different shaped and not quite the same hue of whiteish brown. Then there was a larger egg that sort of resembled another of our girls eggs, but not exactly. Then one I assumed was the first egg from a gal who had quit laying for a while. It was sort of ridged at the top, kind of like an egg that was stuck for a bit. Not sure if any of them are Pearl eggs, but maybe they are. I will know when I have jumbos. I assume her eggs will be as large as my Dixie Rainbow.

Ralph- did you ever locate your sneaky whiteish egg layer?

 

[duluthralphie]

I have not found the creamy white egg layer.

However, she is currently on strike, when my girls took the break from egg laying she stopped and I have not gotten one in a few weeks now.

It is not possible for her to switch to a colored egg now is it?


I do not know if the gal is still in the nest box, I have not been out there yet. After yesterday and the egg on the ground, I thought some may have sneaked off and made a nest so I am keeping them in late to make sure they use the nest boxes.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I do not know what could have possibly been wrong with those pullets. What could possibly cause 600 or so to just not ever start laying? I don't know the time of year this was. I don't know what the conditions were. I just know that after you buy 2 tons of feed per month for 600 chickens that never start to earn their keep, you could get pretty desperate.

Mountain Mom: I never did find the 50 gal barrel but "on top" vodka sounds awesome! Back to ebay for me..... And I actually kind of like me some good 'shine. If it's done right it doesn't taste like gasoline, it just feels like it going down. Oh and it does sound like Pearl could be laying. I find that most of Sunny's eggs are shaped a little strange. They are a very light brown and often have spots, which are sometimes translucent. She is a marvel to me.

Ralph: Isn't it funny how we get into routines and wind up forgetting things simply because we do it everyday so we are sure we did it today? Yesterday I had to go out of town on business, getting back around 8:30 pm. It was pouring rain and my daughter assured me she had taken care of chickens and such. So at about 3 am, I wake up and realize that I never collected eggs since I was gone all day. I thought oh, it's okay, she did it, right? Wrong. This morning my hubby went out to open the chicken door and I hollered at him to grab eggs. He found 8 eggs in one nest and a hen getting ready to settle in on them. I know it's not that big of a deal but I NEVER forget to pick up my eggs each day.

I just hope she wasn't getting ready to be broody. I am not a fan of crabby 'ole broodies!

I believe I've found good homes for two of my roosters! I look forward to the end of the 2 hour crow off first thing every morning.

 

[duluthralphie]

I never thought about what time of year. I have read on BYC late fall CX's will never lay eggs, So I am worried about mine, I am not sure if July 31 is late fall or not. I know there is no indication they ever want to lay eggs.

I wonder if that applies to other birds.


I sure can understand feeding and housing the chickens and them not paying any rent!

 

[JessicaThistle]

Sunny's birthday was August 4th and she has laid eggs. Oregon weather is very mild though unlike where you live. Not to mention that most people would never keep CX to laying age.

We really are a silly group of folks here.