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Had to buy eggs- again! Just a vent

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by augustwest, Aug 17, 2011.

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  1. Aug 17, 2011 #1
    augustwest

    augustwest Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Just looking for some sympathy from some chicken people. :)

    I have a flock of 12. ONE is a lovely ancona of laying age, but she molted a few weeks ago and has not resumed laying. Darn her! We loved her pretty, small white eggs. She was the sole survivor of a fox slaughter. She laid eggs for about 2 months before started molting.

    5 are March babies. 2 of them are bramas that are like snowy beachballs! and 3 EEs. ANY DAY NOW, chickens. No squatting and no egg song, though. We keep thinking SEPTEMBER. Their faces are red and they LOOK big enough to lay.

    I have 4 that are maybe 14 weeks old. 2 tiny bantams with no sign of eggs. One maran/EE cross with no sign and one polish with no signs at all. We hope to have eggs from them in November?

    Until last week, I thought we had one polish rooster. He's got a relatively quiet crow and can't see well- he's been lovely to the kids and no very roo-ey yet. But, the other day, I heard a second crow and realized that my frizzle pullet is a roo. Darn it!

    So, here I am with TWELVE chickens and no eggs. If all goes as planned, we'll have 10 eggs a day by December. But last year, NO ONE gave any eggs all winter. We're considering supplementing light this year.

    Free loaders!

    Thanks for the vent.
     
  3. Aug 17, 2011 #2
    yinzerchick

    yinzerchick Chillin' With My Peeps

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    My deepest sympathies...[​IMG] I am anxiously awaiting 18 too start laying myself. I have 24, and so far have found 6 eggs at the most in one day. Patience is something chicken people must need to develope! lol! [​IMG]
     
  5. Aug 17, 2011 #3
    Muggsmagee

    Muggsmagee Menagerie Mama

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    We put a light on in our coop over winter. It kept some of the girls laying. Some people choose to let the girls take a break and resume in the spring. Completely your choice.
     
  7. Aug 17, 2011 #4
    southerndesert

    southerndesert B & M Chicken Ranch

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    We keep 14 hours light in the hen house and have eggs all year though our real slow down is summer when temps are over 100 degrees daily for 3 or 4 months.... Got my fingers crossed for ya![​IMG]
     
  9. Aug 17, 2011 #5
    m_shuman

    m_shuman Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Springfield, GA
    Go buy the 2 1/2 dozen pack of eggs at the grocery store and they will start laying for you!
     
  11. Aug 17, 2011 #6
    ECBW

    ECBW Chillin' With My Peeps

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    I know your frustration. I was hearing others getting eggs from their 16, 18 week-olds. I started to wonder. It finally started to trickle about the 23 week. The eggs from these March babies are tiny for the time being.
     
  13. Aug 17, 2011 #7
    b.hromada

    b.hromada Flock Mistress

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    south Florida, Pompano Beach
    [​IMG] You should be seeing eggs soon. Now the ones moulting, thats another story. I've got several of them doing the same thing!!
     
  15. Aug 17, 2011 #8
    augustwest

    augustwest Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Nov 24, 2010
    North central mass
    Thank you everyone! Clearly I've come to the right place for a vent! [​IMG]

    I know that it just takes time. Sad for me. I did some reading today and it seems unlikely that our 2 roosters will continue to live in harmony for much longer. We'll wait to see who is nicer to the kids and the ladies before we decide to rehome one.

    Chickens! Who needs them? Who am I kidding??? We LOVE them anyhow!!!
     
  17. Aug 17, 2011 #9
    Nicole01

    Nicole01 Overrun With Chickens

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    MN
    Awww..[​IMG] We had to buy hopefully our last pack of eggs from the store. Our older girls are 23 weeks old and we got our first egg two days ago and one today. I have 2 squatters who are singing the egg song, but no eggs that are 20 and 23 weeks old. My 16 week old d'uccle was on the nest all morning and wouldn't get out, so I'm thinking she may be next. Our family goes through 18-28 eggs every week.

    Hang in there. They should be laying soon.[​IMG]
     
  19. Aug 17, 2011 #10
    Bravo

    Bravo Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Aug 24, 2009
    CA
    I can sympathize! I have 7 laying hens and 5 of them are broody. Of the 2 that are not broody, 1 is in molt and the other is more of a fancy lawn ornament than an actual contributor LOL.

    I have about 20 POL pullets that are taking their sweet time to lay as well! I too, am buying eggs LOL!
     
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