Is this a sign she may lay soon?

[leenie]

Congratulations!!!
Me too, two of my three EE's laid their first eggs for me Christmas Eve.
Awesome, isn't it?!!!

 

[danab]

I guess that bigger egg must be a double yoker then. I want to be able to give away some eggs soon, but I only have one girl out of 10 laying so far. I don't know why the other EE and the two Reds are not laying yet. They are the same age. My other EE and one of the Reds will do the squat for me when I come down on them from behind. Hopefully they will begin to lay soon. I have had my original 4 girls since late July. I guess they all just mature at different rates.

 

[danab]

Quote:
Congrats leenie. That is such a great gift.

 

[KandJsmama]

Only 1 of my 6 from July is laying and my EE's aren't even squatting or turning red yet. You are not alone

 

[Cluckthorne]

Congrats on your girls productivity! My EE Buttercup just started laying 2 weeks ago just in time for the holidays. Her third egg was large like that also and it turned out to be a double yoker, they went back to a smaller size the next day. Aren't they just beautiful eggs, they look so nice with my other girl Daisey's brown eggs.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
It definitely might be a 2-yolker. Those are more common with brand new layers. But, to your question about a bigger egg after a missed day... I have noticed my 35-week old Black Australorp lays about 1/3 bigger egg when she skips a day. Right now, in winter, she's laying 2 eggs every 3 days. The egg she holds overnight, and lays very early in the a.m., is a bigger egg than the egg she'll next lay. And, it's a single yolk egg.

 

[rirluvr]

I took pics of the girls today to commemorate the new year. They will be 5 months old on Jan 5, 2010 and I have not yet gotten eggs. They are production Rhode Island Reds.

Agnus: She is photogenic and likes to model for the camera so I always get good pics of her.

Here is Matilda: She is not the smartest of the bunch but you can always count on her to just go sit somewhere and be a good girl.

and Finally Hilda, oh my. This chicken is spoiled you should hear her, so vocal. She is the one who nests but I have get to get an egg. Also the pictures from her are not the best because she won't stand still one moment. I always have to capture her while moving. Today as I was going to take the picture of her she rushed me and started pecking at the buttons on my shirt. This one is the boundary tester.

 

[jjthink]

Glad Bella was okay the day she "went missing"!

In reading your posts I can't help but worry about night time predators with your mention of the window always being open.....as it doesn't sound like the run is pred proof given the concern about hawks. Perhaps I am not visualizing the set up correctly though.

Congrats on the beautiful eggs!
JJ

 

[danab]

Quote:
Thanks for the concern. My run is completely inclosed. Something would have to break through or dig under the chicken wire to get in. I have lived at this house for over 25 years and have never seen anything more dangerous in the backyard than a few squirrels and the neighborhood cats. I had been very worried about the cats getting to my chickens, but just the other day I went out back to see a cat in the yard. I did not see it at first because the girls did not seem to be bothered by anything. Then when I spotted it I realized it was not after my chickens, but rather sitting near an active gopher hole, waiting for the gopher to pop out its head.

It would be real bad if something ever did get into my run at night though. Because that small window that stays open would be the only exit if something got into the coop with the hens. It is a risk I know I am taking, but based on what I have seen around the neighborhood the last 25 years, I think we are pretty safe.

I am only concerned about hawks when the girls are outside all day long in the back yard.

 

[danab]

Quote:
Those reds look a light like mine, only darker red. I think mine must be New Hampshire Reds. They are a lighter red then they appear in this pic.

I got them at a few weeks old in late July. So they are already well over 6 months old and still not laying. One of them shows signs she is ready though. Nice and red, and squats when I pet her from above and behind.
Hopefully yours and mine will kick in pretty soon.

Bella has only missed one day since starting to lay on Christmas Day. And she still lays in her nest outside the coop. As long as she keeps doing there, I don't really mind. But it would be nice if they would use the nests in the coop.