Hey Gang! Whatcha think of my plans and Rooster issue?

[chichichickapea]

finally got my first egg!!!! like literally found it 15 minutes ago. it's been driving me crazy cuz all 4 of my pullets have been really red in the face and their combs/waddles exploded weeks ago. betty, our oldest BR, has even been going in the nest boxes everyday for like an hour the last week or so arranging the hay to her liking. it'd get my hopes up, but then i'd check when she'd come out finally and there'd be nothing but my golf balls. i was seriously starting to wonder if my neighbors were stealing them without me seeing them some how lol... i might try to post a pic later (not that you guys don't know what eggs look like =P). told my wife i'd leave everything as it is in the nest box so she can see it in all it's glory when she gets home from work. kinda silly how excited that first egg can get a grown person...

Congratulations!!!!! Again, all I can say is I am sooooo jealous! I opened my nesting boxes over the weekend, my pullets are 17 weeks old or maybe 18...... I have some eggs in the incubator that I bought and two were not developing....so I took them out to the coop last night and laid them on the ground.....they would just walk around them in a wide circle like I had placed a bomb on the floor!!! Finally, one worked up the courage to try to peck one....chickens!!!!

 

[TonySorrento]

finally got my first egg!!!! like literally found it 15 minutes ago. it's been driving me crazy cuz all 4 of my pullets have been really red in the face and their combs/waddles exploded weeks ago. betty, our oldest BR, has even been going in the nest boxes everyday for like an hour the last week or so arranging the hay to her liking. it'd get my hopes up, but then i'd check when she'd come out finally and there'd be nothing but my golf balls. i was seriously starting to wonder if my neighbors were stealing them without me seeing them some how lol... i might try to post a pic later (not that you guys don't know what eggs look like =P). told my wife i'd leave everything as it is in the nest box so she can see it in all it's glory when she gets home from work. kinda silly how excited that first egg can get a grown person...

YEAY!!!!! Congrats!!! Must.Have.Picks!!!

Congratulations!!!!! Again, all I can say is I am sooooo jealous! I opened my nesting boxes over the weekend, my pullets are 17 weeks old or maybe 18...... I have some eggs in the incubator that I bought and two were not developing....so I took them out to the coop last night and laid them on the ground.....they would just walk around them in a wide circle like I had placed a bomb on the floor!!! Finally, one worked up the courage to try to peck one....chickens!!!!

Tic Toc ..... they are coming soon!!!


My young ones are starting to lay

.. I saw an Australorp in the box yessterday ... I am getting 9- 11 eggs a day

OH! I also adopted a 18 week old Partridge Rock Rooster from my brother who can't have roosters ... he is slowly working his way into the flock ... been almost a week ....

 

[chichichickapea]

Are you going to try hatching any?? My incubator is down to lockdown on 2 days, I cannot tell much about them candling them (beginner) although I could tell the 2 I got rid of were doing nothing.....I may have 0 or 7. My incubator only holds 7 (Richard shipped me 9 eggs) so my housekeeper took 2 home with her...she has a home made incubator (but has had a pretty good hatch rate with it)...she is going to bring those 2 eggs back to me in the am...don't think 15 minutes out will hurt them/much...the rest she has are Royal Turkey eggs trying to hatch...think she said 28 days on those.

Got my brooder set up and ready to go.....

 

[kabaluch76]

I don't think it's silly at all, mine started laying a few weeks ago, and to me it's like a treasure hunt.

I must go out a few times a day just to check for eggs. Enjoy it and hae fun!

 

[TonySorrento]

Are you going to try hatching any??

Not this year ... for run size I am at my comfort zone ... gonna double it next year tho

I don't think it's silly at all, mine started laying a few weeks ago, and to me it's like a treasure hunt.

I must go out a few times a day just to check for eggs.

Absolutely!! I get aggravated when those dang hens are in my way of seeing what is on nest!!

 

[chichichickapea]

One has hatched so far!!!!

 

[chichichickapea]

Got my first egg today!!!!! Don't have any idea who laid it.....it was rather small and beige..........I screamed!!!! Edd thought I had found a snake in the chicken coop....LOL! We had treats for everyone!!! Scratch and mealy worms...life doesn't get much better than that!

 

[Celie]

Luckily, you should only have 1 or two roosters for that group, so they won't make a ton of noise. The sound travel really depends on the geographic location. For example, we live on a hill. The neighbor at the bottom can only hear an echo of our rooster. On the other hand, we can hear the neighbors talking to each other if they are outside. Sound will travel up rather than down.

Just a side note that I have been starting to worry about for myself. We bought 12 hens at a time and they will be hitting 2 years old this May. We did not take into consideration what will happen when most of them stop laying. Are you going to be willing to get rid of the entire flock in 4-6 years? That is the average age they will slow with their production. If you do not want to sell them off or dispatch them, what are you going to do with a large group of (basically) useless birds?

Personally, I'm getting really worried about this. My bird are pets and I will soon have 16 hens that are no longer laying (we already have 4 that basically stopped). When I need to redo my flock I think I'm going to get 4 hens every 2-3 years. That will stagger the ages so that by the time the older ones are on their last leg, I will still have layers.

That is why people have roosters, to get more Pullets, so they have perpetual eggs an chickens. Have you not gotten any chicks in all that time? If not, I would suggest you let a broody hen start to hatch some eggs, I can send you some if you have a broody hen or an incubator or a friend with an incubator? Chickens reproduce fast, even when we don't want them to! You don't say here you are from, but if you are close enough to pick them up, I will give you some pullets and a cockel.

 

[TonySorrento]

Got my first egg today!!!!! Don't have any idea who laid it.....it was rather small and beige..........I screamed!!!! Edd thought I had found a snake in the chicken coop....LOL! We had treats for everyone!!! Scratch and mealy worms...life doesn't get much better than that!

Aint it cool!!! Did you eat it yet?

 

[chichichickapea]

Aint it cool!!! Did you eat it yet?

naw, it's pretty tiny....was hoping to have another one to put with it....but no such luck....maybe today.....