How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[Winderdear]

3 today, from Helmi, Brelly and Marzo

Poor Helmi did the climb-on-top-of-chicken-in-box-and-lay-off-the-side-into-sand thing today. Juin decided to just get comfy on Brelly and Marzo’s eggs and wouldn’t let Helmi in. She isn’t broody, but just finds the nest box a nice place to nap.

 

[Ponypoor]

12 yesterday!

I gather my eggs in a basket and it just sits outside while I'm cleaning up the poop tables after I let them out.

Yesterday, Pudding (our most curious and friendliest pullet, who follows us around like a puppy, and will 100% just let us pick her up and definitely wants to come in the house...) decided she wanted to GET IN the basket with the eggs, and knocked them all over and fell out, and was so shocked she just stood there for a moment while I was "PUDDING!!! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!!!" lolol


One broke and so actually it was just 11 that made it. BAH!

Oh those cheeky ladies I have a few Orpington pullets who demand my attention and are not afraid to let me know that I am their Hooman and I should obey them!

They sure know how to get into mischief

 

[EmmaDonovan]

I don't know if they grow extra warm feathers, but they seem to fluff up to about twice their normal size.

I call that "blorping out." Especially when they've settled in for the night and are extra puffed out. For some reason I imagine the puffing out making this sound: blorp.

 

[gtaus]

I call that "blorping out."

 

[5Australorpasaures]

3 out of 4, one is molting, so I'll let her slide.

 

[User690263]

2 today!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Twelve today.
Six brown, five blue, one olive/ khaki.

 

[thistlewick]

guys big news and I don't even know why I'm doing this but

Tilly decided to go broody! She's definitely decided and picked a nest and I think it's fascinating because she picked the FAVORITE nest and *every single one of my ladies is respecting her choice* and while Tilly is not remotely the highest pecking order lady, not a single of of my girls has tried to bully her out of it and I'm so proud of them!

There were 11 eggs yesterday, but 3 I decided Tilly could try and hatch. She was so delighted when I gave her the 2 extra. Little coos and fluffing her feathers and pancaking, the whole 9 yards.

My favorite thing was discovering how much she likes us, because she raptor calls to everyone near her, except me and my husband and lets me pet her and do anything. She coos at me GOSH they sure know how to make you love em right back!

I didn't think she liked me that much but I always spoke super sweet to her, she was our runt. Her name is after the Little Engine That Could - because she had a rough time of it. She also honks, she's our only girl who sounds like a goose and we are just delighted by her in general. She waddles and is silly and is always running last behind everyone. She isn't small anymore though! haha

So she has an egg by Chocolate, Sophia (her Maran sister) and one of the Jersey Giants or Sapphire Gems, it's almost impossible to tell who lays what (of the brown egg layers, except for Jane who lays an oblong egg lol -- oh and Blanche, who has a very distinctive round shaped egg with a slightly diff color of brown, more peach than brown).

Will candle them in a week to see if any are actually developing.

Also caught Dorothy laying yesterday! So that's all 17 girls officially grown up!!

I read dozens of posts about it yesterday, I'm just going to let nature take its course and let Tilly do her thing and see what kind of mama she is. I wrote dates on the eggs (with pencil) and will start the countdown!

Our hen house actually is the perfect place to brood - loads of space and I will not change anything - free ranging, not removing her from the flock, it will be exciting and fun to see how it goes. I'm prepared for the worst and will accept whatever happens. They are livestock, but they also have great instincts, I trust them, so we will see how it goes!

 

[MargieG]

Well, that was my point. If you have decided to add extra heating for your chickens, then I would say to keep the heat on through the winter months. From what I understand, if you suddenly take away heat from chickens that are used to it, you might overstress the chickens.

My chickens have weeks and weeks of cooling weather before we get into the dead of winter. I don't know if they grow extra warm feathers, but they seem to fluff up to about twice their normal size.

I wonder if a person adds extra heat in the coop if those new feathers after a molt don't come in as thick and warm?

In any case, I think the most important thing is to have fresh water available 24/7. If the aquarium heater works for you where you live, that's great. I know some people have success with heated dog bowls. Neither of those options would work where I live when we hit the dead of winter.

understood. I know now how to proceed. I also got a heated dog bowl. I might return the panel and start using the bowl. I was afraid of the cold in particular for 2 of them that happened to begin molting in late December and only now seem to have grown feathers back almost completely. All the others indeed, as yours, are double the normal size. I guess I was simply not expecting to get 0 eggs with 7 adult hens and 2 young ones, that just threw me off my chicken confidence lol. Thank you gtaus!!!
BTW, how many hens you have and how many eggs are you getting now?

 

[EmmaDonovan]