I had my first egg!!!!

[mener6896]

I am so excited!!! It was from one of my red sexlinks, they are 19 weeks. I'm not sure which one yet as the egg was found in the run. How do I get them to start using the nesting boxes? I put some golf balls in there, is this correct? I have 12 boxes, so I put 1 or 2 in each. I may put both of the girls in there too, just so they can figure it out.

I didn't eat the egg because I didn't know how long it had been in the run. There was a red/brown speck in the yolk too, not sure what that was?

I do have a question now though.... I have 32 other chicks that are only 10 weeks. They are all living together. What do I do about the feed?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Congrats!!! Mine mostly lay in their boxes but occasionally I find one in the yard or on the coop floor. They'll get the hang of it, especially when they see one laying in the nest - then they all want to get in there!

The specks in the egg are from tissue shed while laying. If you plan to sell eggs, you might want to keep an eye on that particular hen (if you can figure it out) and cull her if it continues. There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating it but it can gross people out. Sometimes it takes a little while to work out the kinks in the plumbing though.

As far as the feed, I don't know how other people do it unless you keep all the birds separated. My chickens eat duck feed, the ducks eat the chicken feed, and the chicks just eat. I alternate buying different types of feed on a weekly basis - sometimes 16% layer crumbles, 20% starter, etc and sometimes even mix the two. All my birds are healthy and growing/laying just fine. They also free range so they get their greens and bugs.

 

[siroiszoo]

Congrats on the egg!

I've tried golf balls in the past to no success. The birds just usually figure it all out on their own. Sometimes, leaving the egg in the nest will help but I wouldn't worry. They will figure it out.

As for the feed, there are plenty of different suggestions on that but I would keep feeding what the young ones needed; possibly even mixing the feeds. I was reading a post the other day that suggested feeding the starter/grower at a lower level and the layer/scratch at a higher level. But that won't ensure that either age group will stay only to their feed. Separation is the only guarantee for that.

The spot you found in the egg happens from time to time. Several posts on this website discuss it. For example, I found this one:

BLOOD SPOTS:
Blood spots occur when blood or a bit of tissue is released along with a yolk. Each developing yolk in a hen's ovary is enclosed in a sack containing blood vessels that supply yolk building substances. When the yolk is mature, it is normally released from the only area of the yolk sac, called the "stigma" or "suture line", that is free of blood vessels. Occasionally, the yolk sac ruptures at some other point, causing blood vessels to break and blood to appear on the yolk or in the white. As an egg ages, the blood spot becomes paler, so a bright blood spot is a sign that the egg is fresh.

Blood spots occur in less than one percent of all eggs laid. They may appear in a pullet's first few eggs, but are more likely to occur as hens get older, indicating that it's time to cull. Blood spots may be triggered by too little vitamin A in a hen's diet, or they may be hereditary - if you hatch replacement pullets from a hen that characteristically lays spotted eggs, your new flock will likely do the same.

MEAT SPOTS
Meat spots are even less common than blood spots. They appear as brown, reddish brown, tan, gray or white spots in an egg, usually on or near the yolk. Such a spot may have started out as a blood spot that changed color due to chemical reaction, or it may be a bit of reproductive tissue. Since meat spots look unappetizing, cull a hen whose eggs characteristically contain them.

 

[Serrin]

Don't worry about them learning to use the nest boxes. They eventually figure it out.

Now, on the other hand, if you let your flock free range, be prepared to occasionally go searching for the eggs! I have a couple of sneaky girls that insist, from time to time, on hiding their eggs. Silly twits, they always hide them in the same place though, so when the count is low, I know where to go look!

What is the attraction to the base of the table saw?? Nice clean sawdust? Privacy? Size?

I dunno! They just do it!

Can't speak to the spots issue. I don't think I've ever encountered it. Like LilRalphieRoosMama said, it's something that will work itself out in time.

The feed: I've always heard to keep your flock on starter for at least 25 weeks, regardless of egg laying. We have not completely subscribed to this school of thought however, as we add new chicks to the flock every year.

They're kept separate from the rest of the flock for the first month and a half or so, until they're big enough to hold their own while establishing themselves in the pecking order and then they eat whatever the big girls eat.

Our flock is free range, so I know they're always getting a very well balanced diet between what they find and what I provide. About the only recommendation I could make is to provide oyster shell somewhere in their environment on a free choice basis. Now that they have started to lay, an additional calcium source is a must have!

Good luck. How about posting some pics of your little layers?