help on Eggs please!!?

[coltsrox]

My babies are now almost 20 weeks tomorrow!!yay! anyways i was wondering i probably won't eat her first one but what do i do with the other ones? 1.do i just pick them every morning and and put them in the refridgerator?
2. Also does she need a nesting box? theres only one girl and i didn't wanna spend $12 on one, can i make a homemade one?

e 3. also is there any prepration i need to make before i eat one?

 

[panner123]

You can collect the egg in the morning or afternoon. Make should it is clean and put it in the same place you would any other egg. An old plastic milk crate makes a good nest box. You can either was straw or pine shavings in it.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Well first off, you do need a nesting box to make you girl feel more comfortable. You don't have to spend $12 on one. You most definitely can make on! I've seen 5 gal. buckets on their sides be used, milk crates, card board boxes, built wooden boxes, etc... Do a search on nesting boxes and you will be surprised with the ideas you will get! Second, there isn't anything wrong with eating those first eggs and you do need to collect them everyday and put them in the fridge. Third, there isn't anything that needs to be done before eating them. Easy enough, huh?!?!

 

[keljonma]

One of my friends uses cardboard boxes for nest boxes and she just throws them in the compost heap when they get yucky.

 

[coltsrox]

how about a cool whip bowl? like i'm still not sure waht to use, i don't want something to big. could i do a cardboard box that iu get books in? also i only have to clean off the eggs and put it in the fridge and how long do i have to wait for it to be okay to eat?

 

[gumpsgirl]

A good size for a nesting box is a 12 x 12 size. I cool whip bowl would be way to small! You also don't have to wait any time at all to eat your eggs. That's one of the things that makes having your own chicken at home to lay you fresh eggs everyday so wonderful! It's also one of the things that make your own eggs taste better. They are fresh!

 

[miss_jayne]

when you collect the eggs, don't put them right into the fridge if they are freshly laid and still warm...let them cool on the counter. then place them, pointy side down, in the carton or in a bowl in the fridge. you can keep them there 5-6 weeks, if you even make it that long without eating them all, because they are go-oood!

as per the nesting boxes, i use rubbermaid containers on their side. they are dark and cozy. easy breezy cleaning.

best blessings for a whole bunch of yummy eggs!

 

[keljonma]

The nest has to be big enough for the nesting material and the hen. She will need room to move around in so she can get comfortable and lay eggs. If it isn't big enough, she will lay her eggs elsewhere.

You said you have "babies that are 20 weeks old" but "only 1 pullet". If the rest are males, you need to do something about that bad male/female ratio or you won't have a pullet for long.

If more than one of them are female, you can estimate that you need 1 nest for every 5 hens. Of course, we have 9 nests and usually a queue for the favorite...

Here our Columbian Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red & White Wyandotte argue over a nest box

My husband wears size 16 boot. The box is big enough for the Hamburgs and Lakenvelder, but not for the Wyandottes, Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red or Jersey Black Giant.

For the eggs, I just wipe off any stuck on straw or wood chips with my fingertip or a dry clean cloth before refrigerating or using them. If you aren't going to eat the first eggs, remember to blow out the contents, if you plan to keep it. If not, they will rot and probably explode.

I'm not sure why you aren't eating the first egg. We measured and took pics of all our "first" eggs (for each hen) and then ate them. Personally, I like mine over easy cooked in real unsalted butter and served with toasted homemade wheat bread topped with local honey. But hey, that's me. What is your favorite way to eat eggs? Do it. You'll never have a fresher egg.

 

[HeadHen]

Quote:
OMG I thought my size 12 father and size 13 ex had big feet!!! They are both over six feet tall, your husband puts them to shame

Thanks for posting this thread, I had a lot of questions about how long the eggs stay fresh, etc. I'm new to all this and since I have 26 pullets (touted as being egg laying machine breeds) in the brooder right now with friends and family eagerly awaiting the laying to begin (plus I hope to sell the excess) I need all the info I can get!

 

[coltsrox]

Quote:
howdy i was told not to eat the first one, but myabe i will now! i am excited! i love my sunny side up or hard boiled! i only have two chickens 1 roo and 1 hen. o if i put a girls size sixe 9-10 box in there would that be good for a barred rock hen? i think she's bantam size(which stinks!) becuz she is so small! that does mean smaller eggs right?
also my two are in a hutch, i don't want something to big that would rob them of their room..