I wasn't expecting this

[Matt Berry]

I got home yesterday, picked some tomatoes ,dandelion leaves and went in to check on my ladies. Of course everyone came running to see me and get some treats except for one of the Australorps. She was just sitting there chilling out.

That's weird I thought, maybe she is sitting on an egg. Well, after a little bit she gets up and comes over. Nope no egg. Oh well just wishful thinking on my part. Besides they are only 17 weeks old.

Wait a minute, whats that under the feeder, could it be...... No way, you girls are awesome, that's an egg, oh this is so cool.

So yes, there it was my first egg, of course I haven't quite finished their nesting boxes, and still have 2 bags of flock raiser, no layena, no oyster shell, nothing. I really wasn't expecting to see any eggs for another 1 to 2 weeks. I guess the girls are really pushing for the addition to their coop.

Just when you think you can take it easy, girls will figure out a way to make their project top priority. Oh well, of course I took pictures and as soon as I can I'll be adding to the "first egg" post.

 

[siz8003]

good for her

and good for you eggs wha who

 

[chickflick]

Best get busy! You don't want them getting use to laying there eggs out of the boxes. Congrats! It's like Christmas getting the first egg!

 

[Matt Berry]

I'll definitely will be finishing the nesting boxes by this weekend - They saw me working on them a little bit for the last week and a half. Must have figured I needed a little more incentive to finish them.

It's definitely like christmas, but better. Will there be any eggs tonight, tomorrow, only one, more than one. Oh, I can't wait to get home from work and see.

Hopefully they won't be laying too many eggs before the nesting boxes are complete

 

[speckledhen]

You can still feed them the FlockRaiser; just add oyster shells for calcium in a separate feeder. Congrats!

 

[Matt Berry]

I'll have to pick up a bag of oyster shell today. At first I thought about mixing layena with the flock raiser, which I still will do at some point, but for now I'll just let them finish out the flock raiser.

I still have a months worth of flock raiser (the pullets don't eat as much as the boys did) It still amazes me how much food and water the boys were eating.

My daughter was more excited about the egg then I was. My wife told her about the egg, but she hadn't seen it yet. When I got home, we went out to check on the girls, and sure enough there was another egg. It made my daughters day. It was truly a blessing to see her so happy.

I can't wait to get home tonight to see if there are anymore.

 

[Matt Berry]

I know I was a little slow in posting these pictures but here they are

I ended up getting a second egg the very next day, both were double yolkers.

I finished the nesting boxes last weekend, I might have to modify it a bit though, my girls don't want to use it yet. Now that they are 18 1/2 weeks old I have 2 maybe 3 girls that are laying, They've laid 4 eggs so far this week, they just insist on laying the eggs on the floor of the coop. I had even put some dummy eggs in the boxes, but they just are not buying it. Oh well.

As for the feed I bought some Layena and have been mixing it with the flock raiser until it runs out. I also picked up a 50lbs bag of oyster shell so they should be set for a while. Thank you speckledhen