From Civilian to Chicken Rancher timeline.

[b737drvr]

What is the status of the coon surprise? Any eggs yet? One of our barred-rock girls gave us her first egg 5 days ago. So far she is 5 for 5!

 

[The Lazy L]

October 13, 2012

When the wind is from the south we can hear the neighbor's rooster crow.

I was working in the backyard and heard a weak rooster crow.....another weak crow....neighbor's rooster....no wait sound if from the wrong direction...

Lucky is crowing!

Now if the hens would start laying and the final part for the coon surprise would arrive, all would be good.

Lucky is the one front center that is looking to peck my shoe.

 

[Iwonderwhy]

Really enjoyed reading this thread......lots of information here and I love your chicken cam!

 

[The Lazy L]

October 20, 2012

Saturday morning I topped off the feeder, rinse and refill the water.

Open the lid to the nesting box...EGG! THERE IS A EGG LAYING IN THE NESTING BOX!

Egg looks like it got pecked a few times.

A few hours latter Lucky starting crowing and the hens were sing a different clucking song. Open the lid to the nesting box and a hen is sitting. I checked back at noon and...A SECOND EGG!

I've got 2 hens a laying.

October 21, 2012

Checked the nesting boxes...no eggs

Got home from church, changed clothes, sneaked up on the coop...ANOTHER EGG!

I've got 3 hens a laying (sounds like a Christmas carol doesn't it?).





8 BO hens laying every other day = 28 eggs per week. I'm in the money! $3 a dozen.

I owe Aunt Mary for the million zillion egg cartons she has collected for me at the local retirement home.

Trading neighboor lady eggs for her home made bread.

Eggs for our own use.

That leaves 3 eggs per week to pay for the chicken coop $X,000, secured run $X00, $20 of feed per month, misc suppiles $X00 and the Kawasaki Mule 610 (to haul eggs from the coop to the house).

I'M IN THE MONEY.....

 

[binders]

Congrats on your first eggs! Don't go spending all that money in one place

 

[The Lazy L]

October 22

2 eggs


October 23

1 egg


October 24

2 eggs




I assume two ladies are laying a egg each every other day and a 3rd hen is laying the 1 egg.

Now if the other 5 hens would get in on the act....I'm got expenses to recoup!

 

[The Lazy L]

October 28

2 eggs

October 29

2 eggs

I've got 4 hens a laying.

Ran a electrical outlet into the run and plugged in the waterer heater. I am a bit confused. Water heater warning label states water heater is not to be around water!

 

[kichohana]

Brilliant huh? I went with a heated dog water bowl. Girls drink out of it no problem, I just have to dump and clean it daily while in use. Not yet cold enough to have to use it here.

I am loving your posts and enjoying reading every page.

Like the others...

watching and waiting for the predator surprise!

 

[The Lazy L]

November 5

Son emails and asks if the coop cam is working?!

So I punch in the IP, user name and password........and.................yep it's working.

I click the audio button at the top and I hear the ladies clucking.....but they should be outside. So I pan the camera and there is 3 ladies all trying to stick their necks into their favorite nesting box. Why don't they just go in?

I've been getting 2 eggs a day from 8 hens, all layed in the same nesting box except one. One of the hens slacked off on Saturday, only 1 egg that day. With 8 Buff Orpingtons I figure full egg production should be 4 eggs a day.

I continue to watch.....there is a hen in the box already....the other 3 will just have to wait their turn OR use the other nexting box! Nope. One hen pushes her way into the box another hen exits and stands outside, watches and waits.

One of the hens got tired of waiting and went into box #2...

 

[The Lazy L]

November 8

Funny watching the coop cam. Hens' take turns looking into the nesting box. "Are you laying an egg? Is that what a egg looks like?"

3 eggs today! 2 were in the nesting box and the third I found in their run. The third egg looked like it was used to play chicken rugby but it wasn't cracked.

I have a demented hen and that is the one I suspect the third egg.

What is a demented hen you ask?

I open the gate to let the chickens free range. All but one figured out how to walk thru the gate.

Chickens free ranging for about 10 minutes and the "demented one" just discovers it is alone in the run and starts running back an forth squawking. So I patiently herd it towards and thru the gate.

Free ranging time is over. Herd the chickens to the run gate and in they go. Excepted for the "demented one". She continues to run pass the gate. I drag out some plywood and construct a funnel pointing toward the gate and finally get the "demented one" back in the run.

Or I pass out treats. The rooster and dominate hens grab the treats first and run. The "demented one" stands there with a "wonder what's going on" look. So I throw a treat at her feet when the other hens aren't looking. "Oh. There is something at my feet. Look fellow flock members, there is a treat laying by my feet". And one of the other hens "poof" treat is gone.

Maybe the "demented one" is actually just playing dumb and is setting up the dominates for a fall and a change in the power structure....nah I don't think so.